About Hemiculter leucisculus (Basilewsky, 1855)
The sharpbelly, also known as the wild carp or common sawbelly (Hemiculter leucisculus), is a tropical freshwater and brackish fish from the family Xenocyprididae. It is found in large streams and reservoirs in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, and the Amur River basin. The species has also become an exotic inhabitant in various countries including Iran, Afghanistan, and the former Soviet Union, where it has outcompeted local fish. Initially described as Culter leucisculus by S. Basilewsky in 1855, it has also been referred to in scientific literature as Chanodichthys leucisculus and Hemiculter leucisculus warpachowskii. This fish can grow up to 23.0 cm (9.1 in) in length and thrives in fresh and brackish water with a pH of 7.0, a hardness of 15 DH, and a temperature range of 18 to 22 °C (64 to 72 °F). Its coloration is green-gray on the dorsal side and white on the ventral side. The sharpbelly primarily feeds on zooplankton, insects, crustaceans, algae, and detritus. While it holds minor commercial value mainly in mainland China where it is canned, it is generally not favored as a food fish in Hong Kong due to its unpalatable and bony flesh.
