Fish glue, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is derived from the following species of the family Pseudosciaenidae: the large yellow croaker Pseudosciaena crocea (Richardson), the small yellow croaker Pseudosciaena polyactis Bleeker, the yellow-spotted croaker Nibea albiflora (Richardson),Miichthys miiuy (Basilewsky), or from the family Acipenseridae, such as the Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis Gray) and the Daurian sturgeon (Huso dauricus (Georgi)). It has the effects of tonifying the liver and kidneys, nourishing the blood and stopping bleeding, and dispersing blood stasis and reducing swelling.It is primarily used to treat kidney deficiency with seminal emission, weakness in the lower back and knees, lower back pain, dizziness and tinnitus, leukorrhea, habitual miscarriage, blood deficiency with muscle spasms, postpartum convulsions, tetanus, epilepsy, aplastic anemia, hematemesis, hemoptysis,hematuria, metrorrhagia and menorrhagia, traumatic bleeding, genital ulcers, fistulas, chronic ulcers, fissures, gout, and hemorrhoids.
Fish Glue
Fish glue, a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is derived from the following species of the family Pseudosciaenidae: the large yellow croaker Pseudosciaena crocea (Richardson), the small yellow croaker Pseudosciaena polyactis Bleeker, the yellow-spotted croaker Nibea albiflora (Richardson),Miichthys miiuy (Basilewsky), or from the family Acipenseridae, such as the Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis Gray) and the Daurian sturgeon (Huso dauricus (Georgi)). It has the effects of tonifying the liver and kidneys, nourishing the blood and stopping bleeding, and dispersing blood stasis and reducing swelling.It is primarily used to treat kidney deficiency with seminal emission, weakness in the lower back and knees, lower back pain, dizziness and tinnitus, leukorrhea, habitual miscarriage, blood deficiency with muscle spasms, postpartum convulsions, tetanus, epilepsy, aplastic anemia, hematemesis, hemoptysis,hematuria, metrorrhagia and menorrhagia, traumatic bleeding, genital ulcers, fistulas, chronic ulcers, fissures, gout, and hemorrhoids.
Chinese Name : 鱼胶
Aliases : Fish swim bladder, fish milt, swim bladder, white swim bladder, fish bladder, fish glue, fish stomach
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Sweet in taste, neutral in nature; enters the Kidney and Liver meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
Tonifies the liver and kidneys, nourishes blood and stops bleeding, dispels blood stasis and reduces swelling.
Indications
Kidney deficiency with seminal emission, weakness in the lower back and knees, low back pain, dizziness and tinnitus, leukorrhea, habitual miscarriage, blood deficiency with muscle spasms, postpartum convulsions, tetanus, epilepsy, aplastic anemia, hematemesis, hemoptysis, hematuria, metrorrhagia and menorrhagia, traumatic bleeding, genital ulcers, fistulas, chronic ulcers, fissures, gout,hemorrhoids.
Usage and Dosage
1. Internal use: Decoct 10–30 g; take 3–6 g as a powder. 2. External use: Apply an appropriate amount after melting or burning to ash.
Precautions
Contraindicated for individuals with poor appetite and excessive phlegm.
Chemical Constituents
It primarily contains collagen and is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, mucopolysaccharides, and various vitamins.
Pharmacological Actions
This product has a certain therapeutic effect on ulcers.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Supplement to the Materia Medica*: “For splinters from bamboo or wood embedded in the flesh that have not come out for a long time, take the white part and apply it to the four sides of the wound; once the flesh softens, the splinter will come out.”
2. *Materia Medica of Marine Medicinal Herbs*: “Treats lunar-eclipse sores, genital sores, and hemorrhoids; use as ash.”
3. *Essentials of Dietary Therapy*: “Dissolve in wine and take orally to treat tetanus.”
4. *Compendium of Materia Medica*: “The swim bladder stops uncontrollable bleeding from fractures; swim bladder glue, charred until only the essence remains, treats difficult childbirth in women, postpartum convulsions, tetanus spasms, stops vomiting blood, disperses blood stasis, and alleviates toxic swelling.”
5. *New Compilation of Materia Medica*: “Nourishes essence and enriches blood.”
6. *The Original Source of Materia Medica*: “Nourishes tendons and meridians, calms hand tremors, and consolidates essence.”
7. *Toxic and Medicinal Fish of China*: “Tonic and invigorating.”
8. *Medicinal Animals of Shandong*: “Treats postpartum abdominal pain.”
9. *Animal Medicines of China*: “Treats kidney deficiency-induced nocturnal emission, seminal emission, leukorrhea, concussion, hemoptysis, and metrorrhagia.”
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For kidney deficiency with impaired storage and retention, leading to nocturnal emissions and seminal leakage: 1 jin of yellow croaker swim bladder gelatin (chopped, stir-fried with clam powder until pearl-like, then stir-fried with butter), 8 liang of Shayuan tribulus (soaked in mare’s milk overnight, steamed over indirect heat for the duration of one incense stick, then oven-dried or sun-dried), and 2 liang of schisandra berries.Grind into a fine powder. Add aged wine to refined white honey and bring to a boil; when the honey has cooled slightly, form into pills the size of mung beans. Take eighty to ninety pills per dose, washed down with warm wine or salted broth on an empty stomach. (Jujing Pills from *Zhengzhi Zhunsheng*)
2. For generalized weakness, soreness, and pain, including lower back pain: 4 liang of fish swim bladders (fried in sesame oil until golden brown), ground into a powder. Take 5 qian per dose, washed down with warm yellow wine. (Fish Swim Bladder Powder from *The Great Compendium of Surgery*)
3. For postpartum convulsions and rigidity: 1 liang of swim bladder gelatin. Stir-fry with snail powder until charred, remove the powder, and grind into a fine powder. Divide into three doses and take with decocted cicada slough soup.(*Jingxiao Chuanbao*)
4. For tetanus, trismus, and rigidity: Roast fish glue until it is reduced to seven fen, retaining its essence. Grind into a fine powder and mix with a small amount of musk. Take two qian per dose, mixed with wine; if unable to drink wine, take with rice soup. (*San Yin Fang*)
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with traditional Chinese medicine should first consult a licensed TCM hospital, where a TCM practitioner will conduct a professional diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate herbal formula.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
They can be caught year-round. After catching, slit open the abdomen, remove the swim bladder, cut it open, remove the blood vessels and mucous membrane, wash thoroughly, then flatten and sun-dry, or use fresh after washing. The gelatin that forms after melting and cooling is called “fish glue.”
Processing Methods
1. Fish Glue: Take the raw material, remove impurities and dust, soften by baking, cut into sections, and air-dry.
2. Fish Glue Stir-Fried with Clam Powder: First, heat the clam powder in a wok; then add the cut fish glue segments and stir-fry over low heat until the surface becomes fluffy and deep yellow. Remove from heat and sift out the clam powder. Use 5 kg of clam powder for every 10 kg of fish glue.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry, airtight container in a cool, dry place, protected from moisture and insect infestation.
Crude Drug Identification
Properties of Crude Drugs
This product appears as oblong or irregularly shaped pieces, tapering at one end. It is yellowish-white or pale yellow, translucent, horn-like, and slightly lustrous. Yellow croaker fish glue is smaller, while sturgeon and Chinese sturgeon fish glue are larger and feature two hanging strands.It is tough and resilient, not easily broken; the fracture surface is fibrous. It swells readily when immersed in water and dissolves almost completely when boiled. It has a faint fishy odor, a mild taste, and a sticky texture when chewed.
Properties of Processed Slices
1. Fish Glue: Small cubes, yellowish-white or pale yellow, horn-like, translucent, and tough. It has a faint fishy odor, a mild taste, and a sticky texture when chewed.
2. Clam Powder Stir-Fried with Fish Glue: The surface is puffed and foamy, the center is often hollow and loose, and it is yellow in color. It has a crisp texture and a faintly fragrant aroma.
Botanical Information
Morphological Characteristics
1. Yellow Croaker: The body is laterally compressed, generally 40–50 cm in length, with larger specimens reaching up to 75 cm.The head is large and possesses a well-developed mucus cavity. The snout is bluntly pointed, with four snout pores. The eyes are large, positioned laterally and high on the head, with a rounded, convex interorbital region. The mouth is anterior, broad, and oblique; the lower jaw is slightly protruding. The teeth are fine and pointed; the upper jaw has multiple rows of teeth, with the outer row slightly enlarged; the lower jaw has two rows of teeth, with the inner row being larger. The chin has four inconspicuous small pores.The margin of the anterior opercle is finely serrated; the posterior end of the opercle bears a flattened spine. The gill openings are large, and the gill rakers number (8–9) + (16–18) and are slender and elongated. The head and anterior part of the body are covered with round scales; the posterior part is covered with ctenoid scales. The lateral line consists of 56–58 scales (8–9/8).The fin ray portion of the dorsal fin and the fin membrane of the anal fin are covered with small round scales. Each scale on the lower part of the body side has a golden-yellow cutaneous gland. The dorsal fin consists of Ⅷ–Ⅸ, Ⅰ–31–34, continuous, originating above the base of the pectoral scales. The anal fin consists of Ⅱ–8, with the second fin spine being relatively long.Pectoral fins: 15–17. The caudal fin is wedge-shaped. The swim bladder is large, with a rounded anterior end; it has 31–33 pairs of lateral branches, each of which terminates in two small branches—an anterior and a posterior one—that are of equal length and run parallel to each other. The otolith is pear-shaped. The dorsal and upper lateral surfaces of the body are yellowish-brown, and the lips are orange-red. All fins are yellow or grayish-yellow. The ventral surface is golden yellow.
2. Small Yellow Croaker: The body is laterally compressed, generally 23–26 cm in length, with larger individuals reaching up to 50 cm. Its appearance is similar to that of the Large Yellow Croaker. The main differences are as follows: gill rakers 10+(8–20); lateral line scales 50–62 (5–6/8); dorsal fin IX–X, I–31–36.Anal fin: II-9-10. The swim bladder is large, rounded at the front, with 26–32 pairs of lateral branches on each side; the final two small branches on each lateral branch—an anterior and a posterior branch—are of unequal length; the posterior branch is short, while the anterior branch is slender and elongated. The otolith is pear-shaped and relatively small. The body is yellowish-brown, the lips are orange, the fins are grayish-yellow, and the ventral surface is golden yellow.
3. Yellow-spotted Goby: The body is laterally compressed, typically 21–35 cm long, with larger individuals reaching over 40 cm. The head is medium-sized and slightly pointed. The snout is short and blunt, with five small pores at the tip. The eyes are medium-sized and positioned on the upper side of the head. The mouth is medium-sized, subterminal, and obliquely slit. The lower jaw is slightly shorter than the upper jaw; the teeth on the upper jaw are minute, while those in the outer row are larger;the inner row of lower teeth is larger. The chin has five small pores, with the central pore lacking a dermal projection. The gill openings are large, with gill rakers (5–6) + (10–14). The posterior part of the head and the body are covered with ctenoid scales; the lateral line is well-developed, with 51–53 lateral line scales (10/9–10).Dorsal fin X, I–28–30. Continuous, originating above the base of the pectoral fin. Anal fin II–7, with the second spine thick and robust. Pectoral fins are pointed and elongated. Caudal fin is wedge-shaped. The dorsal side of the body is grayish-orange.The dorsolateral surface bears numerous dark gray wavy stripes slanting forward and downward, but these do not connect with the stripes below the lateral line. The upper portion of the dorsal fin spines is dark brown; the margins of the fin rays are black, with a small black spot at the base of each fin ray. The pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins are all orange-yellow. The ventral surface is silvery-white.
4. Catfish: The body is laterally compressed, typically 45–55 cm long. Larger individuals may reach 80 cm. The head is medium-sized and somewhat pointed. The snout is short and bluntly pointed. The eyes are large and positioned on the upper side of the head. The mouth is large and anteriorly positioned, with the upper and lower jaws approximately equal in length. The outer row of teeth on the upper jaw is enlarged and canine-like; the inner row of teeth on the lower jaw is also enlarged and canine-like. There are four mentral pores.The two anterior pores are minute; the two posterior pores are slit-like. The gill openings are large, with 6+(9–11) gill rakers. They are slender and elongated. The snout and operculum are covered with small, round scales; the body is covered with ctenoid scales. There are 50–54 lateral line scales (9/10).Dorsal fin VIII–IX, I–28–31, continuous, originating above the base of the pectoral fin. Anal fin II–7–8, with the second fin spine relatively long. Pectoral fins are pointed and elongated. Caudal fin is wedge-shaped. The swim bladder is large, conical, and bears 34 pairs of lateral rays that intersect to form a reticulate pattern.Otoliths are oblong. The body is grayish-brown with a purplish-green tint; the upper margin of the dorsal fin spines is black; there is a black longitudinal stripe down the center of the fin rays. There is a dark spot above the axilla of the pectoral fin. All other fins are grayish-black. The mouth is light gray, and the belly is grayish-white.
5. Chinese Sturgeon: The body is elongated, reaching over 2 m in length; the back is slightly arched while the ventral surface is straight. The snout is nearly plowshare-shaped, broad and thick at the base, tapering to a point at the tip, and slightly upturned. The head is covered with smooth bony plates. The mouth is subterminal, forming a horizontal slit; the upper and lower lips are underdeveloped and bear minute papillae. On the ventral midline of the snout, there are two pairs of barbels, equal in length and arranged in parallel.The eyes are small, the gill openings are large, and the gill rakers are thin and pointed, numbering approximately 22. There is one bony plate on each side of the gill arch. The body is covered with five vertical rows of bony plates; the central row on the back is larger, with 8–14 plates in front of the dorsal fin and 1–2 plates behind it. There are two rows on the dorsal and ventral sides of the body, with 24–37 bony plates on the flanks;8–15 on the ventral side. Additionally, there are 1–2 plates before and after the anal fin, and one row of spiny plates on the upper lobe of the caudal fin. The remaining parts are smooth and scaleless. The dorsal fin has 54–66 rays and is located above the anal fin. The pectoral fins are well-developed and attached to the ventral surface; the anal fin has 32–41 rays.The caudal fin is asymmetrical, with a well-developed upper lobe. The dorsal surface of the body, head, and fins are bluish-gray, while the ventral surface is white.
6. Chinese sturgeon: Body length is approximately 2 m; larger individuals can reach over 5 m. The head is slightly triangular, with a long and relatively pointed snout that curves slightly upward at the tip; the surface of the head is covered with numerous bony plates. The mouth is wide and arched, positioned inferiorly, with two pairs of barbels at the front.The eyes are small and set relatively close to the tip of the snout. The left and right gill membranes are connected and extend toward the ventral surface. The body is covered with five rows of rhomboid bony plates bearing sharp, slightly curved spines; the dorsal row consists of 10–16 large, yellow bony plates; the lateral row consists of 32–46 yellowish-brown bony plates;the ventral plates number 8–12; there are 1–2 less distinct plates behind the base of the pelvic fins. The rest of the body is smooth and scaleless. The dorsal fin has 43–57 rays and is set far back; the anal fin has 26–36 rays, originating below the rear portion of the dorsal fin; the caudal fin is asymmetrical, with a long, pointed upper lobe. The dorsal surface of the body is bluish-black, the flanks are yellow, and the ventral surface is grayish-white.
Distribution Area
1. Large Yellow Croaker: Found in China’s Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea. 2. Small Yellow Croaker: Found in China’s Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea. 3. Yellow Croaker: Found along all of China’s coastlines. 4. Black croaker: Found along all of China’s coasts. 5. Chinese sturgeon: Found in China’s Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea, as well as in the Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Qiantang River basins. 6. Chinese paddlefish: Found in Northeast China, particularly abundant in the Heilongjiang River basin.