Photo: Hunting for dogfish in the southernmost part of the country.

Ca Mau - The dogfish is similar to the catfish and the small catfish, but has thinner skin. Notably, the females of this species are very cunning, making them more difficult for fishermen to catch than other fish. The fish also has several stripes on its back resembling the fur of a brindle dog, hence its name, the dogfish.

The catfish, also known as the sea catfish, is a species of smooth-skinned fish that lives in brackish and saltwater environments near river estuaries leading to the sea. This fish is very cunning, difficult to catch, and its sweet, fatty flesh makes it highly sought after by locals. (In the photo: Locals preparing to search for schools of catfish in Cai Nuoc district, Ca Mau province.)

After identifying the schools of fish, they cast their nets and fish. Ms. Do Thi Hoa, from Dam Cung hamlet, Tran Thoi commune, Cai Nuoc district, Ca Mau province, said: "To catch dogfish, you need a net longer than 1 km. Dogfish usually forage in schools along the river mouths leading to the sea. People in Ca Mau usually catch this species in two ways: by hook and line and by net. The selling price varies depending on the type, averaging 60,000 VND/kg."

Mr. Pham Van Phu, from Dong Tam hamlet, Cai Nuoc town, Ca Mau province, said: "At the beginning of the rainy season, there are more fish, which is also the fishing season. Due to their cunning nature, people go in groups to set nets to catch catfish. Nets 1,000 meters or more in length are spread horizontally and vertically across the river, then sticks are used to beat them hard so that the fish, seeing the disturbance, run and get caught in the net. Catfish nets are three-layered nets with holes 7 cm wide and 5 to 8 decimeters long. The fish caught weigh from 300 grams to over 1 kg. Each day, a fishing boat can catch 20 to 30 kg of catfish."

Catfish are bought by traders at prices ranging from 30,000 to 40,000 VND/kg. If fishermen catch a good haul early, they can sell the fish retail for 60,000 to 80,000 VND/kg. People will cast and pull about 10 nets in areas with riverbanks, mangrove trees, and nipa palms to catch the fish. On average, a catfish fisherman earns between 600,000 and 1,000,000 VND per day.

Because it is a type of catfish with soft, sweet, fragrant, and less fishy flesh, the dogfish is often prepared as a sour hot pot with fermented rice, or braised in soy sauce.

Fermented rice can remove the fishy smell, giving the dish a more delicious and appealing flavor. This is a specialty dish of the people of Ca Mau that anyone who tastes it once will remember forever.

Laodong.vn