Although westerners sometimes may be very sorry to see fish lying on the plate, in China a whole fish is a symbol of richness.

虽然西方人有时看到鱼躺在盘子里会很难过，但在中国，整条鱼是富有的象征。

youdao

If you go to a store, you can buy parts of a fish, with no bones, but not a whole fish.

如果你去商店买，你只能买到不带骨头的鱼的一部分，不是整条鱼。

youdao

Other foods include a whole fish, to represent togetherness and abundance, and a chicken for prosperity.

用其它食物，包括一整条鱼，来代表团聚和富饶，或者一只鸡来代表兴旺。

youdao

"The Mediterranean diet is very rich in vegetables and fruits and whole grains, lean meats and poultry, a lot of Omega 3 rich fish."

VOA: standard.2010.02.23

They tend to buy fillets or steaks. Kakutani says that means Americans haven't tried a lot of fish that taste best cooked whole, like branzino,sea bream, striped bass and mackerel.

VOA: standard.2010.07.14

He also aims to get more people to eat menhaden as a whole fish, as they do in Japan.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Salt-roasting, which draws on the mineral's ability to conduct heat, generally involves cooking and coating a whole fish in a salt crust.

WSJ: Jenn Louis's Rock-Salt-Roasted Salmon and Turnips | Slow Food Fast

However, if you can't find a whole fish, a 4-pound section of cod or halibut fillet works just as well and tastes just as good.

WSJ: Magic-Carpet-Ride Chermoula