Most people have tasted the delicious ribbonfish and croaker. However, not everyone has seen live ribbonfish and croaker swimming freely. These live fish are also not available for purchase in the market. Why is this?
Fish live in water and find it difficult to survive once they leave it. This is especially true for marine fish like ribbonfish and croaker, which require a certain concentration of salt in the water. However, this is not the only reason.
In fact, ribbonfish and croaker almost die immediately after being caught and brought onto the boat. These fish usually live in relatively deep sea water and are accustomed to enduring pressures much greater than those we experience in the air. When these fish are caught and brought to the surface, the sudden decrease in external pressure causes fatal effects within their bodies. For example, the air in their swim bladders suddenly expands due to the reduced external pressure, sometimes exceeding the volume it can hold and causing it to rupture. Additionally, the oxygen in their blood, previously absorbed by their blood cells, enters a special “boiling” state due to the decreased external pressure. These factors severely affect the fish’s body, causing them to die immediately after leaving the water.