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Ayu
The Ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis), or Sweetfish, is the only species of fish in the genus Plecoglossus. It is a relative of the family of smelts. It is native to the Palearctic ecozone. Its habitat is rivers, lakes, and coastal waters of western Hokkaido, Japan and southward to the Korean Peninsula, China, and Taiwan. It is commonly referred to as sweetfish due to the sweetness of its flesh.
The Ayu is an omnivore and feeds mostly on algae, crustaceans, insects, sponges, and worms. They are very territorial as well. The adults ascend from coastal waters into the lower reaches of rivers to spawn in the spring. The
larvae descend to the sea immediately on hatching and winter there before returning to fresh water again in the spring. Most but not all individuals die after their first spawning.
Ayu is edible and is consumed mainly in East Asia. The flesh has a distinctive, sweet flavor which gives a melon or cucumber aroma. It is highly prized as a food fish. It is caught by fly fishing, trapping or use of decoys. Also fishermen use Japanese Cormorants that are trained to catch the Ayu, store it in their crop, and then deliver them to the fishermen. Ayu is also fished commercially in large numbers, and captive juveniles are raised in
aquaculture before being released into rivers for sport fishing.
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