Spider glue, one of the four top-grade fish maw brands - Hong Kong professional fish maw purchasing company

When it comes to the world's number one fish maw, everyone knows that the large yellow croaker maw, also known as the golden threadfin maw, is highly valued for its nutritional and medicinal properties. But do you know about the world's third-ranked top-grade fish maw, spider maw?

Spider maw, ranked third among the world's top-grade fish maws, is considered a top choice for fish maw enthusiasts, second only to golden threadfin maw. Also known as "little golden threadfin maw," it was introduced to the domestic fish maw market in the 1990s from Southeast Asia as a high-end seafood ingredient, traded alongside abalone, sea cucumber, and shark fin. Spider maw is generally produced in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Fish maw from the first two producing countries is quite rare and very expensive. Currently, Vietnamese-produced spider maw is more common and relatively inexpensive.

Spider maw is a precious type of fish maw, mainly produced in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other regions. It has a unique shape, resembling a hammer (T-shape), which some skincare enthusiasts find remarkably similar to the style of internationally renowned beauty device brands. The head bulges outwards on both sides, accompanied by 2-6 short, fine barbels, giving it an overall spider-like shape, hence the name "spider maw." Because of the barbels on its head, and the Chaoshan people's high regard for barbel-bearing golden threadfin fish maw, spider maw is also sometimes called "little golden threadfin."

Spider maw (male) is highly sought after in Hong Kong! Spider maw is very famous in Hong Kong and other places, with Indonesian spider maw being the most prized among all spider maws. Spider maw is not as large as other types of fish maw. A spider's belly weighing just over 30 grams is becoming increasingly rare, and it is extremely rare, worthy of being collected by experts and enthusiasts like an antique.

Therefore, prices have been rising over the past decade. In 2012, at the Hong Kong International Food Expo's food section, a pair of long-armed spider-shaped sausages cost as much as HK$680,000.

When choosing spider glue, Hong Kong people especially prefer spider glue with muscle in the middle of the belly. The belly has a smooth texture, and its elasticity and toughness are far superior to those of a mother's belly. This is one of the reasons why Hong Kong people have always liked the belly.

Why is expensive spider glue so sought after?

Reason 1:

It has excellent effects! Spider glue has functions such as nourishing yin and kidneys, nourishing the stomach and lungs, benefiting essence and strengthening the spleen, and replenishing blood and regulating qi. It is also a good choice for beauty and health, and has significant effects on children's lungs, bronchitis, cough, and asthma. According to folk medicine, it is used for pulmonary hemorrhage, gastric hemorrhage, etc. Eating spider glue has a very good hemostatic effect and can help the body recover quickly.

Reason 2:

This fish is highly valuable! The spider gudgeon, also known as the small-scaled croaker (Boesemania microlepis), is a species of fish in the genus Boesemania of the family Sciaenidae. It is a highly valued edible fish, known for its vocalizations. A small species, it has been recorded to have reached a maximum length of 100 cm and a maximum weight of 18 kg. It prefers to live in brackish waters at the boundary between fresh and sea, feeding on hard-shelled shrimp and crabs. It is mainly distributed in freshwater basins from Thailand to Sumatra.

The small-scaled croaker (Totodactylum simonii) has delicious, tender flesh and is highly nutritious. Its swim bladder is also extremely valuable, leading to overfishing and putting the fish in a dangerous state. It is now very difficult to find in the wild.

Reason 3:

Scarcity drives up value! Moreover, it's considered second only to the golden threadfin and the house bream, earning the nickname "small golden threadfin." In recent years, its market size and weight have been decreasing, and its quantity is also dwindling. The fish species is currently in a dangerous state, and its numbers are dwindling, making the price of spider bream relatively high. Those weighing over one tael (approximately 50 grams) are worth collecting.

Reason 4:

Medicinal Value! In the Chaoshan region, people store spider glue as a form of "life-saving glue," known locally as "life-saving glue." This is because spider glue, as a top-grade fish glue, has a special hemostatic effect, and it is very fast and effective. It is also the most widely circulated fish glue experience and record in Chaoshan folk medicine. This medicinal experience has been passed down for decades and continues to this day, used for conditions such as postpartum hemorrhage and severe gastrointestinal bleeding. There are also many examples of using spider glue and golden threadfin bream for hemostasis.

How to distinguish male and female spider spiders?

1. The "hammer"-shaped protrusions of the spider glue form a distinctive tubular shape, making it easier to identify. The overall shape resembles a "hammer," with several short, small whiskers on the head and fascia hidden behind it.

2. Spiders can be divided into males and females. The male spider's abdomen has varying thicknesses of flesh, and a sinusoidal vein running down the middle; the female spider's abdomen lacks this vein.

Most spider glue on the market is from Vietnam, which is relatively inexpensive and suitable for daily supplementation. Malaysian spider glue is the next most common, but it's much more expensive than the Vietnamese version. Indonesian spider glue is the most expensive. You can choose based on your preferences and budget.