Audit Expert: Li Weiyang.
Well-known popular science writer.
The end of the year is cold, and the Year of the Dragon is approaching. As a spiritual totem and national symbol of the descendants of Yan and Huang, the dragon was endowed with a special meaning. In Chinese culture, the dragon gate is a symbol of career success, and this image not only contains profound cultural and historical accumulation, but also has a practical basis.
* |The historical evolution of the legend of the good fishing fish leaping dragon gate.
"Fish Leaping Dragon Gate" originates from ancient legends, and was first recorded in the "Xin's Three Qin Records": "Every spring, there is a yellow carp going upstream, and those who pass will turn into dragons." It actually describes the Yellow River carp swimming upstream, forming jumping groups at Longmen (waterfalls) in early spring each year. However, due to the strong current, no fish are able to climb above the waterfall. Therefore, the ancients imagined that these carp would transform into dragons after jumping over the dragon gate**.
Over time, this legend gradually spread, often used as a metaphor for people in high school in the imperial examinations, pinning people's expectations for the healthy growth of children, and in the Tang Dynasty, the legend of the carp jumping over the dragon gate has become widely known. The poet immortal Li Bai wrote in the poem "Gift to Cui Shiqing": "The three-foot carp of the Yellow River is originally in Mengjinju. The amount is not a dragon, and it returns with a fish. In the poem, Li Bai uses the Yellow River carp as a metaphor, eager to be appreciated for his talent and show his ambitions.
The realistic basis for the fish leaping dragon gate.
The concept of "Leaping Dragon" is not unfounded, although full of romantic reverie. In fact, many fish do make a regular and directed group movement known as migration.
Migration is a cyclical activity that fish carry out in order to meet the needs of survival at different stages, and it is essential for them. Migratory fish reproduce, feed, and overwinter by changing the water area in which they live, and if their migration is hindered, it can even lead to extinction.
Because the temperature and light conditions in shallow waters are more suitable for the growth of eggs and juveniles, carp migrate from deep to shallow waters as the breeding season approaches. In addition, carp will show great intelligence and teamwork skills when finding a suitable breeding site, and they will consider a variety of factors such as water current, water quality and topography to determine whether they are suitable for spawning.
*丨Fishing ashore.
In addition to breeding migration, carp also migrate during foraging. Due to their wide range of diets, which eat both plant and animal foods, carp will hunt around for suitable food, and may swim up or down the current, resulting in a migratory phenomenon.
Of course, in addition to carp, the more familiar migratory fish should be salmon. Many species of salmon hatch in freshwater environments, and once they reach adulthood, they choose the ocean downstream as their living place. During the spawning period, salmon return to gravel beds upstream of the river to lay their eggs. Therefore, as soon as they leave the sea, they begin their journey against the current. In this process, the salmon need to constantly jump to cross a waterfall or dam in the river.
*丨Naturally. Other fish that like to jump.
Jumping dragon gate is not exclusive to migratory fish, other fish also have the phenomenon of jumping.
Silver Arowana, formally known as Arapaima bibeard, belongs to the family Arapaimidae of the class Arapaima of the class Radial-finned fish. They usually live on the surface of the water, the eyes facing the sky are suitable for observing the situation above, the huge and hard mouth is suitable for devouring prey, and can also bite the carapace and bones of the prey, the powerful tail is good at swimming quickly, and when necessary, they can jump high out of the water, catching a frog and a small snake is a basic operation, and even small animals such as birds and mice cannot escape the bloody mouth of the silver Arowana. They even jump higher and move more flexibly than monkeys, so the locals also call them water monkeys.
*丨Wikipedia.
There are also manta rays, flying fish and other fish that also have wonderful jumping behavior. In the breeding season, manta rays sometimes use their double fins to slap the water surface, jump into the air, can jump out of the water, and "glide" in the air more than one person above the water. But scientists haven't figured out why they do it, whether it's fun or to clean barnacles.
* |Wikipedia.
The "Leaping Dragon" is a blessing bestowed by the ancient Chinese, and it shows the strange phenomenon in nature. On the occasion of the arrival of the Year of the Dragon, I wish everyone to be able to leap into the dragon gate and rise step by step!