Named for the long, narrow silver body shaped like a
刀 (knife/blade). Part of the historically famed '
黄河三鲜' alongside
黄河鲤 and
黄河甲鱼. Overfishing and estuary damming drove it to near-extinction by 2000; releases and fishing bans on the Yellow River estuary since 2017 have allowed a partial recovery.
