474: Chapter 474 Spiny Mantis Shrimp

"These are the local specialties we prepared for you. We can't do business here... The seafood we catch in our spare time, besides what we eat ourselves, is usually given to the supply ships."

"And here, the thing we lack the least is seafood. Our leader said that everything this time is for you; he hopes you can bring us some scarce supplies next time."

Captain He said with a smile.

"Alright! Brother He, then I'll accept respectfully. Please thank the leader for me. I'll definitely bring more supplies next time I come."

Yang Qi said after a moment of thought.

Next, he arranged for Wang Jinxi and the others to transfer all the fish from the net cages into the Live Well. He also had them record the approximate weights.

After all, once the fish were sold, he had to buy supplies for the soldiers. He would deliver them the next time he passed by.

After Wang Jinxi and the others handled the fish in the cages, they returned and handed Yang Qi a slip of paper.

Yang Qi took a quick look; it was mostly high-quality goods like Sesame Grouper, Mouse Grouper, three-knife fish, Ruby Snapper, and Wrasse.

There was only a total weight without specific weights for each category, but there were approximate proportions.

Captain He looked at Yang Qi and said with a laugh:

"We said we're giving them to you, why are you still weighing them?"

Yang Qi also replied with a smile:

"You guys guard the gateway to our country for us civilians without fear of hardship or exhaustion. How could I possibly take advantage of you?"

"I'll take these high-quality goods back and sell them to the trading firms for a high price. Then I can use that money to buy more supplies."

"Although I'm not sure when I'll take this route again, I guarantee I'll definitely come back."

Captain He nodded with a smile and said:

"Yang Qi, I understand that the sea areas where your fishing boats operate are definitely not fixed. As long as you can come next time, it's fine!"

"Alright, Brother He. Let's exchange contact info. When you go to the mainland in the future, you must find me for a drink!"

So, including Zheng Tie, the three fellow townsmen exchanged numbers and added each other on social media.

Then Yang Qi and his Uncle bid farewell to Captain He, piloting the explorer away from the pier once more, heading toward the place Captain He had mentioned.

This was an "Inner Bay."

They were in the South China Sea, and even though they were far from the mainland, since this was all part of the motherland's territorial waters, there was no true high seas to speak of, but there was still a distinction between Inner Bays and the open sea.

The so-called "Inner Bay" refers to a sea area between two land extension points that are no more than 24 nautical miles apart.

After reaching the destination, Yang Qi ordered the nets to be cast again. Wang Jinxi and Ding Kuan quickly went to the stern and first threw the cod-end into the sea.

Since the cod-end had its own weights, once it hit the water, the Trawling net would automatically slide into the sea under the ship's horsepower.

Once the net was fully in the water, a section of the towing rope was released, and then the winch had to be braked for a moment.

This action was firstly to pull the net below slightly straight to prevent it from getting tangled.

Secondly, it gave the people casting the net time to react so they could tie the Otter Board properly.

Once the Otter Board was tied and lowered into the water, and another section of towing rope was released, the net casting was considered finished.

The function of the Otter Board is to prop open the mouth of the net where the fish enter, making the opening larger than the ship's hull.

Because the Otter Board has a curvature, when it's underwater and being pulled by the fishing boat, the water flow acts on the board, causing it to push the towing rope outward.

Without the Otter Board, the net opening would become narrower as it's pulled, meaning the net wouldn't be open and fish wouldn't be able to get inside at all.

Yang Qi piloted the explorer around the Inner Bay for two hours.

While everyone was watching a movie in the media room, Yang Qi's voice suddenly came over the broadcast:

"Brothers, the time is about right. It's time to haul in the net!"

When the cod-end emerged from the water again, the tension on everyone's faces turned into surprise once more.

They saw that this net was completely full, looking like it held at least four tons.

"Holy crap, such a huge harvest! I hope they're all high-quality goods!"

"Yeah! If they're all valuable, we're going to be rich!"

Everyone began to chatter excitedly.

"Shanshan, you come open this net! I hope your luck is good enough!"

Bai Xue suddenly said to Yao Shanshan, as if having someone lucky open the net would change the catch inside.

It was just like when characters in a movie play cards and the protagonist cautiously reveals their hand bit by bit, as if the card itself might change.

"Alright, I'll do it! A lucky start, luck from all sides!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Yao Shanshan gave a loud shout and gave the rope a hard tug, pulling it open.

In the next moment, the sea harvest crashed onto the deck with a series of thuds.

"Holy crap, why is it these things?"

"Oh my god! How are they so big?"

"Whoa, there are so many!"

The exclamations from Yang Qi and the others were endless.

These things were very common, but the key was that it was their first time seeing them this large.

"Brothers, don't just stand there dazed. Hurry up and get the fish baskets with nets, everyone start sorting them into storage."

After being stunned for a moment, Wang Jinxi was the first to react.

"Little Snow, why is this Mantis Shrimp so big?"

Yao Shanshan asked Bai Xue softly.

"This isn't the common Mantis Shrimp we see. It's called the Giant Mantis Shrimp. They are found at the sandy and muddy bottoms of the South China Sea's Inner Bays. They are relatively rare and can probably sell for about 100 yuan per jin."

Bai Xue explained with some excitement.

The Giant Mantis Shrimp (Harpiosquilla raphidea) is a marine crustacean of the order Stomatopoda and the genus Harpiosquilla. It is the largest species of its genus, with a body length that can exceed 30 centimeters.

Its head features triangular lateral protrusions and sickle-shaped raptorial claws, with 8 long teeth on the inner side of the dactylus.

There are dark spots on both sides of the central ridge of the telson, four pairs of longitudinal ridges distributed on the dorsal surface of the body, and the spines on the tail are bluish-green.

This species is distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, including Japan's Sagami Bay, the South China Sea, the Philippines, Australia, and the Java Sea in Indonesia.

The Giant Mantis Shrimp inhabits burrows in sandy and muddy substrates of Inner Bays. It feeds on small fish, crustaceans, and annelids. Spring (April to June) is the spawning season, during which the female shrimp develops orange roe.

As a dominant species of stomatopod in the northern shelf area of the South China Sea, it is often caught and processed as an economic seafood. Cooking methods include salt and pepper, spicy, and blanched.

Indeed, almost this entire net was filled with Mantis Shrimp (locally called 'Xia Gu'). At first glance, they looked no different from ordinary Mantis Shrimp, but in terms of size, they were worlds apart.

Ordinary Mantis Shrimp are only about eleven or twelve centimeters long, and their thickness is about the same as an adult man's thumb.

But with the Mantis Shrimp in front of them, any one they picked out was nearly as thick as an adult's wrist, and the length reached over twenty centimeters.

The average weight of a single one was estimated to be over a jin; it was a very satisfying sight.

...

PS: Please like, comment, urge for updates, give five-star reviews, and use the free "Electricity Generation with Love."

Happy New Year to all my old friends!!