The 2025 provincial reserve profile names the Dali schizothoracin, locally called gongyu, among Erhai’s endemic native fish. It also identifies Ottelia, or haicaihua, as a characteristic highland aquatic plant. These organisms connect the lake’s ecological identity to specific life rather than to a general image of blue water.
From the journal
Native Fish and Lakeside Plants in Erhai’s Highland Wetlands
Erhai is not only a lake beside a city. Conservation records identify native fish and aquatic plants that make its wetlands habitat.
In the same city · Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture ↗Native Fish and Lakeside Plants in Erhai’s Highland Wetlands
Native fish and aquatic plants
The reserve protects Erhai’s lake wetlands alongside Cangshan’s high-elevation forest. The provincial profile names native fish and aquatic plants among its conservation targets, connecting specific lake life to the reserve’s water and habitat responsibilities.
Naming the Dali schizothoracin and Ottelia places Erhai’s ecological identity in the living species that the reserve is meant to protect. Their inclusion in the management profile makes the lake more than a blue surface beside the city.