Although the color of arhat fish is changeable, I always feel that its body shape is very similar to tilapia sold in the vegetable market. The black and white arhat fish would look exactly like tilapia if it didn't have such a high forehead.
Therefore, I once took it for granted that arhat fish was just a species of tilapia. Finally, under my temptation, my friend went to the vegetable market to pick tilapia for a long time, bought some fish with a lump the size of a mosquito bag on his forehead, served them delicious and dreamed of turning the ugly duckling into a swan.
Unfortunately, every time I send a picture, I just see that although they have grown up a lot, the mosquito bag on their heads is still there. I can only encourage my friends to hold on and raise more money. It doesn't matter if your head is not bulging, as long as your body can grow up. Braised tilapia, with more meat and less thorns, tastes good.
This kind of tilapia, native to Africa, is a small and medium-sized tropical fish. Its size and shape are similar to those of crucian carp, so it is nicknamed "African crucian carp". About 1957, tilapia was introduced to Guangdong from Vietnam, so some people called tilapia "Vietnamese fish" in the early days. However, the popular name in Guangdong is to call tilapia black crucian carp and crucian carp white crucian carp.
Black crucian carp and white crucian carp are similar in appearance, but far from each other in taste. Although the meat of tilapia is thicker and less prickly than that of white crucian carp, its umami taste is much worse than that of white crucian carp.