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Context

• The black-spotted croaker, or the Ghol Fish was declared the state fish of Gujarat.

Why was the Ghol chosen?

• The Gujarat government chose the Ghol because of its economic value and its uniqueness.

About Ghol Fish

• The Ghol fish is also known as the black-spotted croaker in many parts of the world.
• The scientific name of the Ghol Fish is Protonibea dianthus.
• It is the only species in the monospecific genus Protonibea.
• It is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers.

Distribution

• The black-spotted croaker has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution from the Persian Gulf east into the Pacific Ocean where it extends north to Japan and south to northern Australia.

Habitat

• It is found in coastal waters, usually no deeper than 60 m over mud substrates.
• It occasionally enters estuaries and the tidal reaches of rivers.
• This fish mostly resides in marine waters. However, due to heavy pollution, it has been forced to reside in the deep ends of the water rather than on the surface. This makes it extremely difficult to be caught by the fisherman’s net.

Commercial importance

• The fish is considered a delicacy, it is prized in East Asia because even though there is no evidence, some people actually think its organs are medicinal.
• The fish are most expensive in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Japan.
• This fish is known locally as Telia in Odia.
• Apart from the fish meat, the body parts of the fish are as expensive. The bladder of the fish is used in the wine industry.

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