Goody Feed 14h
Rabbit fish, traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year and known as "prosperity fish," has faced supply challenges in 2024. The fish is particularly valued when containing roe (eggs) or milt (sperm), which can only be harvested during the Lunar New Year season.
Recent stormy weather has significantly affected both the quality and quantity of rabbit fish available in Singapore's markets. The fish caught contained mostly mud and sand instead of the desired roe or milt.
Mr Li Zhang Hao, a Teochew restaurant owner, made multiple early morning trips to Jurong fish market but found subpar quality fish. His previous record of eating 43 rabbit fish in one sitting contrasts with his expected consumption of only 14 this year due to quality issues.
The lower quality is attributed to two factors: persistent rainy weather and an earlier Lunar New Year timing in 2024. These conditions prevented the fish from naturally clearing sand and mud from their systems.
A fishmonger at Bukit Panjang Market, Susan, reported zero sales of rabbit fish as of January 30. She deliberately maintained low stock levels due to the absence of roe or milt in currently available fish.
The fish are typically caught in regional waters, and their reproductive cycles don't align with human calendars. With Singapore's weather now returning to its characteristic heat, vendors anticipate improved availability of quality rabbit fish.
Rainy Weather Affects Supply of Rabbit Fish for CNY Day 1 & 2
Care for some rabbit fish eggs or sperm this CNY? Before my fellow less adventurous (uncultured) readers squirm away and shake your heads, what if I told you that eating it can help you prosper in the new year?
I’m sure everyone is all ears now. Unfortunately, even if I have successfully changed your minds to give this delicacy a try, it has been reported that the quality of rabbit fish this Chinese New Year has not been the most optimum due to the incessant stormy weather. Rabbit fish, also known as “prosperity fish”, is a delicacy commonly eaten during Chinese New Year. While they can be bought all year round, those filled with roe (eggs) or milt (sperm) can only be caught near the Lunar New Year season. In this state, it is known to symbolise abundance and prosperity. They are usually caught around regional waters.
This Chinese New Year, it has been reported that the quality and quantity of rabbit fish has been negatively affected by the rainy weather. The owner of a Teochew restaurant, Mr Li Zhang Hao, shared with 8world that it has become a tradition for him to gift rabbit fish to his friends and family and buy some to enjoy for himself. This year, however, his early morning trips to Jurong fish market, two days in a row, ended in slight disappointment, as the supply and quality of rabbit fish was lower than usual, despite his dedication to wake up early (I could never). Sadly, the reproductive systems of these fish do not follow the same schedule as us humans. Instead of the highly anticipated roe or milt within the fish, he had only found mud and sand in most of them.
Rabbitfish 白肚鱼 for Chinese New Year
Rabbitfish as a symbolic dish in Chinese New Year (CNY)
Rabbitfish is one of the must-buy food during Chinese New Year(CNY). The species commonly eaten is White-Spotted Rabbitfish. Its stomach region is usually bitter. CNY period coincides with their mating season, as a result, the fish taste great. Rabbitfish contains fish roe and milt(fish semen) during this time. Rabbitfish Milt tastes like soft tofu and with a tinge of seafood flavour. This is viewed as an abundance by the Chinese and will also buy it for its taste.
Fish is one of the most eaten food during the Chinese New Year (CNY). The word Fish (鱼yú) has the same pronunciation(余yú) as Chinese idiom 年年有余 (nián nián yǒu yú). Traditional Chinese idiom represents surplus all year round. It is one of the popular auspicious blessings during CNY festive season. Chinese choose Rabbitfish as one of the preferred fish even calling it “发财鱼” prosperous fish. Thus, it is common to buy Rabbitfish as a custom is to wish their loved ones prosperity and living in abundance during reunion dinner. There will often be some leftover fish to symbolise surplus that matches the idiom. Most importantly, CNY reunion dinner is once a year, Chinese will definitely buy it during CNY.
White-Spotted Rabbitfish is also known as Spinefoots and they belong to the Siganidae family. Rabbitfish is a diurnal animal (active during the day). At night, it often hides in between rocks and corals. Younger rabbitfish form large schools, while the adults are usually seen in smaller schools. Some species can reach up to a length of 40 cm. White-spotted Rabbitfish is more commonly found up to 15cm. The rabbitfish elevated spines contain poison glands on its fins. These spines can be found on their fins. As Rabbitfish have venomous spines on their fins, you must act with caution when handling rabbitfish. Although not lethal, its sting can inflict great pain to people. While rabbitfish are not aggressive in nature, however, they do not hesitate to sting predators in self-defence. Rabbitfish is mainly herbivorous. Its diet is based mostly on algae. Some species of rabbitfish eat zooplankton, seaweed and corals.
Rabbitfish season brings family and friends together for CNY
Rabbitfish is also known as “fa cai yu”, or “get-rich fish”, as it is believed to bring prosperity. PHOTO: MOH ZAKARIA
Rabbitfish is a popular dish that tastes best during Chinese New Year, as its mating season coincides with the festive period and it is said to taste less fishy when filled with roe and milt, the male equivalent of caviar. For some families here, the dish even has a convening power, bringing together extended family and triggering memories of childhood reunion dinners. A group of 19 people from Singapore celebrated this Chinese New Year by feasting on the tropical fish. On Feb 10, Ms Jennifer Chang, 57, took her family to Kiki Beach Resort, a resort on Galang Island near Batam, Indonesia, to savour the delicacy and bring back memories of her late mother’s cooking.
Some of their friends also joined in the festivities. The youngest in the group was four years old and the oldest 62. It was the first time Ms Chang has gathered with her siblings to have rabbitfish since their mother died seven years ago, she said. She hoped to reminisce about the times they spent having rabbitfish with their mother while enjoying the sea view and activities at the resort. “She was the only one who prepared (the fish) for me, so I have missed this dish for many years,” said Ms Chang. “She would try to steam it for me throughout Chinese New Year. I would get many rounds of rabbitfish, as long as they sold it in the market.” Her mother would steam rabbitfish Cantonese-style with garlic, red chilli, sesame oil and soya sauce for the family, she said, adding that it is her favourite way of enjoying the fish. The dish was cooked only during Chinese New Year because rabbitfish are small and do not contain roe when it is not mating season. “Even though my mum’s cooking was always the best, I’m grateful to Kiki Beach Resort for this special treat,” Ms Chang said. The owner of the resort, Mr James Poh, 59, said mating season for rabbitfish lasts around a week during Chinese New Year, starting from Feb 5 and ending before Feb 15 in 2024. During that time, the meat of the fish tastes firm and sweet, he said. As for its roe, he likened it to foie gras, which is creamy and smooth.
Siganus canaliculatus
Siganus canaliculatus, the white-spotted spinefoot, white-spotted rabbitfish, pearly spinefoot, seagrass rabbitfish, slimy spinefoot or smudgespot spinefoot is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is native to the western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean where it occurs on reefs and in lagoons.
Siganus canaliculatus was first formally described in 1797 as Chaetodon canaliculatus by the Scottish explorer Mungo Park with the type locality given as Bengkulu Province on Sumatra. This taxon is largely sympatric with the mottled spinefoot (Siganus fuscescens) and these taxa are also very similar in appearance. Molecular analyses in 2011 found that there were three separate lineages within S. canaliculatus and S. fuscescens, that these lineages interbred and that each lineage had specimens which referred to either taxon, this suggests that S. canaliculatus is a junior synonym of S. fuscescens. This is not the position taken by FishBase[6] or Catalog of Fishes. The specific name canaliculatus means “grooved”, a reference to the grooves in the fin spines. Park did not know that, like all rabbitfishes, these spines contained venom glands for defence.
Siganus canaliculatus has a moderately slender, laterally compressed body, the standard length being 2.3 to 2.8 times its depth. The dorsal profile of the head is weakly to notably concave over the eyes with a pointed snout. The front nostril has a flap, in juveniles this covers the rear nostril, although it becomes shorter as the fish grows and is completely absent in the oldest fishes. The dorsal fin has 13 spines and 10 soft rays while the anal fin has 7 spines and 9 soft rays. The front spine on the dorsal fin points forwards. The caudal fin is nearly emarginate in smaller individuals of less than 10 cm (3.9 in) standard length becoming forked in larger fish. This species attains a maximum total length of 40 cm (16 in), although 20 cm (7.9 in) is more typical. The colour and pattern of the white-spotted spinefoot is very variable. It can be greenish grey to yellow brown and is marked with 100-200 perlescent blue to whitish spots on the nape and anterior part of the body, these are similar in size to a match-head on the lower flanks. There are 2 to 3 rows between the first spine of the dorsal fin and the lateral line, which are roughly one sixth the size of the eye, and another 10 or so rows between the uppermost point of the lateral line and the base of the first spine in the anal fin. Alarmed or injured fishes adopt a pattern where their flanks are mottled with patches of light and dark brown and cream, forming a pattern of 6 or 7 uniformly spaced, dark oblique zones with lighter zones of similar breadth separating them. There is normally dark spot immediately to the rear of the upper end of gill opening, this spot is similar in size to the eye, and a thin bar along the upper margin of the operculum.
