♫ "You said I must eat so many lemons, 'cause I am so bitter..." ♫ Well, the Amur Bitterling might not feast on lemons, but its diet of plant material and small insect larvae creates a similar effect. Predators looking for a quick snack often change their minds after tasting this species' bitter flavour, as if sending back a dish at a restaurant.

Despite their small size, ranging from 5 to 8 centimetres, these carp are surprisingly resilient, thriving even in poorly oxygenated water. You’ll only find these little carp in places where freshwater mussels are found. That’s no coincidence.

You see, mussels form an essential part of its reproductive system, with bitterlings laying their eggs inside of them. In other words, mussels are the surrogate mothers of bitterling babies.