Perch family: names, description. Ordinary ruff. Volga walleye. River perch. Commercial fish of the perch family Types of perches, names and photos
Perch is a fish that belongs to the class of ray-finned fish, perch-like order, perch family (Percidae).
Perch - description, characteristics and photos
A distinctive feature of the representatives of this order is the structure of the dorsal fin, which consists of 2 parts: the anterior prickly and the softer posterior. For some species, their fusion is characteristic. The anal fin contains from 1 to 3 hard spines, and the caudal fin has a peculiar notch. In almost all perches, the pelvic fins are bright red or pinkish in color. Perch teeth are quite large and are arranged in several rows in a large mouth, and some species have fangs. Perch scales are small, tightly attached to the skin, with noticeable transverse stripes of a darker color. On its posterior edge there is a ridge consisting of teeth or small spikes. The gill cover is covered with small notches.
Middle perch weight ranges from 400 g to 3 kg, and the weight of sea giants reaches 14 kg. The length of the fish can exceed a meter, but the average perch sizes usually no more than 30-45 cm. Under natural conditions, larger predatory fish, otters, and humans prey on these fish.
What color is perch?
Depending on the species, the color of the perch is greenish-yellow or gray-green. Marine members of the family are characterized by pinkish or red shades. Sometimes there are specimens of yellowish or bluish color. In deep-sea species, large eyes are a distinctive feature.
Types of perches, names and photos
The perch family is represented by more than a hundred species, and is united into 9 genera. On the territory of the countries formerly part of the USSR, 4 species are known:
- river perch - the most common species in all fresh water bodies;
- yellow perch - tail, fins and scales are painted yellow;
- Balkhash perch - the first dorsal fin without a dark spot, and in adults there are no vertical stripes;
- sea bass - the needles of all fins have poisonous glands.
Where does perch live?
Perch fish is found in all natural and artificial reservoirs located in the Northern Hemisphere - from the rivers and lakes of the USA and Canada to the reservoirs of Eurasia. For a comfortable stay of freshwater perch species, it is desirable to have a weak current, medium depths and underwater vegetation, in which there are “hunting grounds”. These fish lead an active lifestyle around the clock. Under normal conditions, they gather in small flocks, can live in high mountain lakes and at a depth of up to 150 m.
Sea bass lives both in shallow water, in the interweaving of coastal algae, and in rocky deep expanses.
The perch is considered one of the most voracious and unscrupulous predators in food: perch food is everything that moves along the bottom or in the waters of a reservoir, fry, small crustaceans, molluscs, insect larvae and eggs laid by other fish. Small perch emerging from eggs settle to the bottom, where they eat small crustaceans and insects. By the middle of summer, grown-up individuals move closer to the coast, where small roach and verkhovka become their food.
First of all, an adult perch preys on non-commercial fish species - stickleback and minnow. The diet of the second order includes gobies, bleak, young individuals of silver bream, pike perch and. Sometimes raki and are added to the main menu. According to scientists, algae and small stones, which are often found in the stomach of a perch, are necessary for a predator for productive digestion. In autumn, during the migration of young individuals to deep water, cannibalism flourishes among perches, which significantly reduces the population and increases the chances of survival of non-predatory fish species.
Representatives of the perch family (Percidae) are found in fresh waters and in the seas located in countries with a temperate or hot climate. The dorsal fin of perch fish consists of two parts: prickly and soft, sometimes separated from each other. The anal fin has 1-2 spines. The ventral fins on the chest have 1 spine and 5 branched rays. The scales are usually ctenoid. Gill membranes do not adhere to the throat; there are 4 gills and behind the last one is a slit. The pharyngeal bones are divided. The bones of the oral cavity are covered with small teeth, simple and conical, among which sometimes there are fangs. Fish of this family lead a predatory lifestyle.
The perch genus (Regsa) consists of fish; whose body is laterally compressed. They have two dorsal fins; the mouth is armed with numerous small teeth; the bone has a spike; cheeks covered with scales.
1-zander (Lucioperca lucioperca), 2-perch (Perca fluviatilis)
1-zander, 2-perch; ¼ real size.
The common perch (Perca fluviatilis) is a well-known fish. Both of his jaws, like the vomer and palatine bones, are seated with small teeth; tongue - fleshy and smooth; the lateral line lies closer to the back. Its back is blackish-green; body sides greenish-yellow; belly yellowish white; from the back to the belly on each side there are transverse black stripes; the first dorsal fin is bluish in color, with a large black spot at the posterior end; the second dorsal fin is greenish-yellow; pectoral fins yellow-red; anal and ventral fins minium-red; caudal fin red below.
The eyes are red. The length of an adult perch usually ranges between 25 and 30 centimeters and weighs between 1 and 21/2 kilograms. However, there are very large specimens, the weight of which reaches 40 kg. predatory and with greed and perseverance pursue any prey, even on the surface of the water; at the same time, the perch spins, rushes about, repeating all the maneuvers of its prey, and all the time opens its huge mouth with a loud champ, which can sometimes be heard a hundred steps away. Perches swim very quickly, but in jerks, often stopping unexpectedly and then rushing forward again.
Spawning times for perch vary. In the southern regions, in the mouths of the rivers of the Black Sea and Caspian basins, perch spawn in March; in the black earth regions - in the first half of April; in the Moscow region - in the second half of April; in the northern regions and in the lakes of the middle Urals, towards the end of May. In general, perch spawning depends on the time of the final opening of the rivers. In rivers, spawning occurs in places with a very weak current, where there are objects that perches could rub against, which contributes to the speedy flow of caviar and milk. In lakes perches rub against reeds and reeds, burdock roots and similar objects, in rivers they rub against water plants, snags and roots of washed trees. Caviar is produced in long gelatinous ribbons, sometimes reaching more than 2 meters in length; when they emerge, these ribbons roll up into irregular balls and attach themselves to underwater plants or float freely on the surface.
Everywhere and always, perches, like pikes, lead a diurnal lifestyle and from dusk to full dawn stand motionless in their shelter, where they are half asleep and do not take any food; only at the end of May and at the beginning of June do perches roam at night, and then in the northern countries, where the nights are bright at this time. The main food of perches is fish: annual white (juveniles) and the smallest fish; in some areas, perches feed on worms in spring, and in summer on molting crayfish or young crustaceans; in late autumn, at the beginning and end of winter, the main food of perch in the lakes of the northern, part of the middle European regions of the USSR and Siberia is small breeds of crustaceans, amphipods or mormysh.
Perch's enemies are not only gluttonous catfish, pike, pike perch. burbots that exterminate them in masses, but also larger perches that eat their small relatives. Water birds and ospreys also kill a lot of perches. Perch eggs are eagerly eaten by other fish, especially loaches, and in the north by sticklebacks and water birds; many eggs die from calmness, as well as from strong winds that throw perch eggs ashore. However, okuvs are found everywhere in significant numbers, which is explained by their high fertility and unpretentiousness.
They catch perch with baited rods, but the most prolific perch fishing is considered to be trolling. A lure is a shiny metal plate or a trihedral piece of tin, which is shaped like a fish. At one end, the lure is attached to the fishing line, and at the other end, a fishing hook is attached. When fishing, the lure is constantly moved so that the perch belittles it for a live fish. Lure fishing is successful only where there are other perches, and at a time when they gather in flocks, from about August to spring, and when the water is clear enough for perches to see the lure. In spring and summer, the perch falls on the lure only by accident.
The total catch of perch within the USSR reaches large sizes and in rough round figures fluctuates between 450,000 and 500,000 centners.
Fresh and frozen perch enter the market, and small dried perch, but mainly perch is consumed by the population near eats. fishing.
Ruff ordinary (Acerina cernua); 1/3 of the present value.
The ruff genus (Acerina) consists of oblong, laterally compressed fish with one dorsal fin; their preopercular and opercular bones have spikes; jaws and vomer are seated with numerous small teeth. The maxilla is covered by the preorbital. Mucus secretion cavities on the sides and upper part of the head are well developed.
The common ruff (Acerina cernua), also called beaver, bonfire and pooch, is known to everyone no less than perch. Ruff has a laterally compressed body and a blunt snout; the mouth is surrounded by fleshy lips and armed with small teeth; the back of the ruff is gray-green with black spots and specks; the sides of the body are gray-yellow; belly whitish; dorsal and caudal fins with blackish spots; ventral and anal fins are white with a reddish tint. The length of the ruffs varies between 10 and 20 centimeters, but there are instances of 25 and even 30 centimeters; the weight of ruffs sometimes reaches 1/2 kilogram. The ruff is widespread in northern and central Europe, in England, in eastern Europe (the Baltic Sea basin), in the rivers of the White Sea basin, in the Pechora, in the rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin up to the Kolyma and in the Aral Sea basin, but is absent in the Amur.
The ruffs with two dorsal fins include the genus Percarina, represented in the basins of the Azov and Black Seas by two forms: Percarina demidoffi and Percarina demidoffi maeotica, which do not serve as an object of fishing, but play an important role in the life of the waters of these seas as food for more valuable predatory fish.
Ruffs are found in large and small rivers, on the coast, in lakes and in flowing or spring ponds; live in the same places as perches, namely in bays and pits. In early spring, or rather, at the end of winter, ruffs come out of the pits where they hibernated to shallow places and after a while begin to spawn. Ruffs spawn earlier than perches, but a little later than pikes; in lakes - still under ice, and in rivers - always before floods. Most spawning occurs at the very bottom, at dusk or at night.
Another species of nosar ruff (Acerina acerina) lives in the rivers of the Black and Azov Seas. It differs from the common ruff in having a longer snout, longer dorsal fin, longer lateral line (50-55 scales) and black rounded spots on the sides.
Ruffs avoid sunlight and warm water, and therefore in summer they are rarely found at a depth of less than 2 meters. Ruffs willingly keep near steep and steep banks, even when the water here is not particularly deep - this is due to the fact that a strong wave and surf easily wash away steep banks, exposing worms and larvae on the ground that feed on ruffs. In flowing ponds, ruffs that do not like daylight live in pits near shady banks, but most of all they stay near dams, piles, baths and bridges, where they find shade, coolness and food.
All summer ruffs lead a sedentary life, and only a strong heating of the water in the ponds and floods in the rivers force them to migrate. At the end of summer, when the water gets colder, ruffs gather in flocks in feeding places, where their main fishing begins at this time. By autumn, ruffs gather in masses; in dammed rivers, around September, they gather in whirlpools, where they winter; in the lakes, they go deep into the winter after strong matinees. In rivers, ruffs winter, except for whirlpools, under dams, in estuaries and in deep pits; in lakes they winter at the mouths of inflowing rivers or at underwater springs remote from the shore.
Ruffs are caught in large numbers with nets and seines only in lakes and in the sea and are consumed mainly on the spot. In the capitals and large cities, only live ruffs were previously valued as the best fish for fish soup; frozen ruffs taste worse than small perch, as a result of which ruffs as a commercial fish are not of great importance. Most of the ruffs are caught here in the Gulf of Finland, at the mouths of the Neva River, as well as in many northern lakes, for example, in Ilmen.
The total catch of ruffs within the USSR is about 100,000 centners per year. This fish is consumed fresh near the fishing grounds.
The genus of zander (Lucioperca) consists of fish having an elongated body with two. dorsal fins. The mouth of these fish is armed with numerous small teeth, among which larger teeth stand out alone.
Pike perch (Lucioperca lucioperca) is considered a commercial fish and has the following local names: pike perch, sula (on the Don), popper, chopik and shibnyak (see figure on page 314). This zander, in addition to small teeth, has two large teeth resembling fangs on the upper and lower jaws; his tongue is smooth. The zander differs from the bersh, which is very similar in that the posterior end of the maxillary bone extends beyond the posterior edge of the eye. The lateral line is almost straight and lies closer to the back. brownish-gray spots, often forming transverse stripes running from the back to the belly, both dorsal fins are gray with blackish spots, the same spots are observed on the caudal fin, all lower fins are pale yellow. even up to 1 meter 22 centimeters, and their weight at such sizes fluctuates between 10 and 12 kilograms.
Pike perch are found in all significant rivers flowing into the Baltic, Black, Azov, Caspian and Aral Seas, as well as in large lakes that have communication with the river basins of these seas. Pike perch are not afraid of sea water and are found not only in low-salt areas of the seas, but also in the salty water of the open sea. In fresh waters, pike perch cannot stand any turbidity and often “sleep” in muddy water after heavy rains.
Pike perches show great rapacity, not inferior to pike in this. Their food is mainly dace, bleak, squint and minnows, but in summer pike perch also eat crayfish and frogs. Spawning in zander, with the exception of the lower reaches of the rivers, occurs after flooding and recession of waters, usually in May and even in early June; in the lower reaches of the rivers, spawning occurs near the anadromous pike perch before flooding, sometimes very late, as, for example, in the mouths of the Volga, where pike perch spawns in mid-April. Having spawned, pike perches immediately go into the depths of rivers or lakes, and migratory pike perches roll into the sea; one of the main reasons zander leave their spawning grounds so quickly is the murky spring water that these gentle fish can't stand. In the mouths of the Volga in May and June, only “sloping” pike perch is found. “Sloping”, “fatty”, or “Zharkovsky”, the pikeperch is called because it appears at the beginning of the slope of the juveniles, for which it hunts. From the middle or from the end of summer, the secondary run of pike perch begins. Autumn pike perch winters in the lower reaches of the rivers, and in the Volga pike perch usually gather in dense masses in the mouths at a depth of approximately 2 meters and wait for the first "breath" of water to start into the river. On dark nights and with a long “moryan”, the upward movement of pike perch almost does not stop, but in severe winters it enters the Volga only during thaws. In the spring, the main move of pike perch is on the Volga in the middle, sometimes at the beginning of March; at the beginning of April there is already a late pike perch along with bream. With the exception of the lower reaches of the rivers, pike perches winter in deep pits, and during the flood they come out of the pits in masses and stay on the floodplain, where the water at that time is cleaner than in the riverbed.
The main zander fishing is carried out on the Lower Volga during the spring run; autumn fishing during the secondary course of zander is less profitable than spring fishing, but in some cases it is even more abundant than spring fishing. Pike perch are caught with nets, and this fish turns out to be surprisingly quiet; zander never fight and do not try to escape from the nets. Taken out of the water, they quickly fall asleep, but even in the water, in cages, for example, they survive no more than a week.
In industrial terms, zander take second place after red fish. From the lower reaches of the Volga, Urals, Kuban and Don, tens of thousands of tons of pike perch are exported in dried, salted and, most importantly, fresh-frozen form. Pike perches for salted meat are cut in layers, that is, they are cut from the back; pike perch, prepared by a block, are cut along the abdomen.
From the insides of pike perch, a very tasty fat is used for food.
The total catch of zander within the USSR is determined in round figures at 800-900 thousand centners, and the Caspian-Volga basin accounts for 650 thousand centners.
Bersh (Lucioperca volgensis) is also called bershik, secret and chop; being very similar to zander, it differs from it in that the posterior end of the maxillary bone does not extend beyond the vertical of the posterior margin of the eye, there are no fangs, and the cheeks are covered with scales; the scales of the bersh are somewhat larger than those of the zander, and its average weight does not exceed 800 grams; rare instances of 2 kilograms. Like pike perch, bersh is a commercial fish.
The main locations of the Bersh-Volga and its major tributaries. It is not known how far the bershis go up, but they are found in Shaksna, Oka, Sura, Kama, Samara, Vyatka, and in the past they even went into the Moscow River. In the Black Sea basin, berches are found almost exclusively in the Dnieper. Bershes are rare in the Bug and Dniester, but quite common in the Don and Donets.
Bersh eat and live in the same way as zander. They spawn in the Middle Volga along with bream, a little later than zander; in the Don, at the beginning of April, and in the Dnieper and the lower reaches of the Volga, at the end of March, later than perch.
Bersh fishing is carried out in the lower reaches of the rivers in spring, but more often in autumn. Bersh meat is similar to zander meat, but coarser. On sale, bersh is considered cheaper than zander.
The average annual catch of bersh and zander within the USSR is over 622,000 centners.
1-sea perch (Lucioperca marina), 2-sea perch (Serranus scriba) 1/5 true size
Sea pike perch (Lucioperca marina) is very similar in physique to pike perch and bersh; differs from both in shorter dorsal fin (less than 18 soft rays); in the presence of fangs, it differs from the bersh, and in the shorter upper jaw from the common pikeperch; its scales are larger than those of the river zander, and smaller than those of the bersh. The body of the pike perch is grayish in color with transverse, darker stripes. The length of the fish is 28 centimeters or more; there are specimens reaching 1 meter in length.
Our pike perch is found in low-salt areas of the Black and Azov Seas, as well as in the Caspian Sea. These zander sometimes enter the mouths of rivers, but in the Caspian Sea they stay mainly in salt water, avoiding desalinated areas. Catch them with nets. The catch for the Caspian does not exceed 30,000 centners.
We present a list of the most common freshwater (river) fish. Names with photos and descriptions for each river fish: its appearance, fish taste, habitats, fishing methods, time and method of spawning.
Pike perch, like perch, prefers only clean water, saturated with oxygen and contributing to the normal life of the fish. This is a pure fish without any ingredients. The growth of pike perch can be up to 35 cm. Its maximum weight can reach up to 20 kg. Pike perch meat is light, without excess fat and very tasty and pleasant. It contains a lot of minerals, such as phosphorus, chlorine, chlorine, sulfur, potassium, fluorine, cobalt, iodine, and also a lot of vitamin P. Judging by the composition, pike perch meat is very healthy.
Bersh, like pike perch, is considered a relative of perch. It can grow in length up to 45 cm, with a weight of 1.4 kg. It is found in rivers that flow into the Black and Caspian Seas. His diet includes a small fish, like a minnow. The meat is almost the same as that of pike perch, although a little softer.
The perch prefers reservoirs with clear water. These can be rivers, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, etc. Perch is the most common predator, but you will never find it where the water is muddy and dirty. Quite thin gear is used for perch fishing. His fishing is very interesting and entertaining.
The ruff has a peculiar appearance with very prickly fins, which protects it from predators. Ruff also loves clean water, but depending on the habitat, it can change its shade. It grows in length no more than 18 cm and gains weight up to 400 grams. Its length and weight directly depend on the food supply in the pond. Its habitat extends to almost all European countries. It is found in rivers, lakes, ponds and even seas. Spawning is carried out for 2 days or more. Ruff always prefers to be at a depth, as he does not like sunlight.
This fish is from the perch family, but few people know it, since it is not found in such an area. It is distinguished by an elongated spindle-shaped body and the presence of a head with a snout protruding forward. The fish is not large, not more than one foot long. It is found mainly in the Danube River and adjacent tributaries. Her diet includes various worms, mollusks and small fish. The chop fish spawns in the month of April with caviar of a bright yellow hue.
This is a freshwater fish that is found in almost all water bodies of the globe, but only in those that have clean, oxygenated water. With a decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the water, the pike dies. Pike grows in length up to one and a half meters, with a weight of 3.5 kg. The body and head of the pike is characterized by an elongated shape. No wonder it is called an underwater torpedo. Pike spawning occurs when the water warms up from 3 to 6 degrees. It is a carnivorous fish and feeds on other fish species such as roach etc. Pike meat is considered dietary because it contains very little fat. In addition, there is a lot of protein in pike meat, which is easily absorbed by the human body. Pike can live up to 25 years. Its meat can be stewed, fried, boiled, baked, stuffed, etc.
This fish lives in ponds, lakes, rivers, reservoirs. Its color is largely determined by the composition of the water that is available in this reservoir. In appearance, it is very similar to the rudd. The diet of roach includes various algae, larvae of various insects, as well as fish fry.
With the advent of winter, roach goes to wintering pits. Spawns later than pike, somewhere at the end of spring. Before spawning begins, it is covered with large pimples. The caviar of this fish is quite small, transparent, with a green tint.
The bream is an inconspicuous fish, but its meat is characterized by excellent taste indicators. It can be found where there is still water or a weak current. Bream lives no more than 20 years, but grows very slowly. For example, a 10-year-old specimen can gain weight no more than 3 or 4 kilograms.
The bream has a dark silver hue. Average life expectancy is 7 to 8 years. During this period, it grows up to 41 cm in length and has an average weight of about 800 g. The bream spawns in spring.
This is a sedentary type of fish with a bluish-gray color. The bream lives for about 15 years and grows up to 35 cm in length, with a weight of 1.2 kg. Gustera, like bream, grows rather slowly. Prefer ponds with stagnant water or a slow current. In spring and autumn, the silver bream gathers in numerous flocks (dense flocks), hence it got its name. The white bream feeds on small insects and their larvae, as well as mollusks. Spawning takes place at the end of spring or beginning of summer, when the water temperature rises to +15ºС-+17ºС. The spawning period lasts from 1 to 1.5 months. The meat of the bream is considered not tasty, especially since it contains a lot of bones.
This fish is distinguished by a dark yellow-golden hue. It can live up to 30 years, but already at 7-8 years old, its growth stops. During this time, the carp manages to grow up to 1 meter in length and gain weight of 3 kg. Carp is considered a freshwater fish, but it is also found in the Caspian Sea. Its diet includes young shoots of reeds, as well as caviar of spawned fish. With the advent of autumn, its diet expands and various insects and invertebrates begin to enter it.
This fish belongs to the carp family and can live for about a hundred years. Can eat undercooked potatoes, breadcrumbs or cake. A distinctive feature of cyprinids is the presence of a mustache. Carp is considered a voracious and insatiable fish. Carp lives in rivers, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, where there is a muddy bottom. The carp loves to pass the pliable mud through its mouth in search of various bugs and worms.
Carp spawns only when the water begins to warm up to a temperature of +18ºС-+20ºС. Can gain weight up to 9 kg. In China it is a food fish, and in Japan it is an ornamental food.
A very strong fish. Many experienced anglers are engaged in fishing for this, using powerful and reliable gear for this.
Carp is the most common fish. It is found in almost all water bodies, regardless of the quality of the water and the concentration of oxygen in it. Crucian carp is able to live in water bodies where other fish will immediately die. It belongs to the carp family, and in appearance it is similar to carp, but does not have a mustache. In winter, if there is very little oxygen in the water, crucian carp hibernates and remains in this state until spring. The crucian spawns at a temperature of about 14 degrees.
Tench prefers ponds with dense vegetation and covered with dense duckweed. Tench is well caught from August, until the onset of real cold weather. Tench meat has excellent taste characteristics. No wonder the tench is called the royal fish. In addition to the fact that tench can be fried, baked, stewed, it makes an incredible fish soup.
The chub is considered a freshwater fish and is found exclusively in fast-flowing rivers. It is a member of the carp family. It grows up to 80 cm in length and can weigh up to 8 kg. It is considered a bold fish, as its diet consists of fish fry, various insects, and small frogs. It prefers to be under trees and plants hanging over the water, since various living creatures very often fall into the water from them. Spawns at temperatures from +12ºС to +17ºС.
Its habitat includes almost all rivers and reservoirs of European states. Prefers to stay at depth, in the presence of a slow current. In winter, it shows the same activity as in summer, since it does not hibernate. Considered to be a fairly hardy fish. It can have a length of 35 to 63 cm, with a weight of 2 to 2.8 kg.
Can live up to 20 years. The diet consists of both plant and animal foods. Ide spawning occurs in the spring, at a water temperature of 2 to 13 degrees.
It is also a member of the family of carp fish species and has a dark bluish-gray color. It grows in length up to 120 cm and can reach a weight of 12 kg. Found in the Black and Caspian Seas. Selects areas with fast currents and avoids stagnant water.
There are sabrefish with silvery, grayish and yellow coloring. It can gain weight up to 2 kg, with a length of up to 60 cm, it can live for about 9 years.
Chehon is growing very fast and gaining weight. Found in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and seas such as the Baltic Sea. At a young age, it feeds on zoo- and phytoplankton, and with the advent of autumn, it switches to feeding on insects.
It is easy to confuse rudd and roach, but rudd has a more attractive appearance. Over the course of 19 years of life, it is able to gain weight of 2.4 kg, with a length of 51 cm. It is found mostly in rivers that flow into the Caspian, Azov, Black and Aral Seas.
The basis of the diet of the rudd is food of plant and animal origin, but most of all it likes to eat caviar of mollusks. A fairly healthy fish with a set of minerals such as phosphorus, chromium, as well as vitamin P, proteins and fats.
The podust has a long body and it chooses areas with a fast current. It grows in length up to 40 cm and at the same time has a weight of up to 1.6 kg. Podust lives for about 10 years. It feeds from the bottom of the reservoir, collecting microscopic algae. This fish is distributed throughout Europe. Spawns at a water temperature of 6-8 degrees.
Bleak is an ubiquitous fish, known to almost anyone who has ever fished with a fishing rod in a pond. The bleak belongs to the family of carp fish species. It can grow to small sizes in length (12-15 cm) with a weight of about 100 grams. It is found in rivers flowing into the Black, Baltic and Azov Seas, as well as in large reservoirs with clean, not stagnant water.
It is a fish similar to the bleak, but slightly smaller in size and weight. With a length of 10 cm, it can weigh only 2 grams. Able to live up to 6 years. It feeds on algae and zooplankton, while growing very slowly.
It also belongs to the family of carp fish species, and it has a spindle-shaped body. It grows in length up to 15-22 cm. It is carried out in reservoirs where there is a current and there is clean water. The gudgeon feeds on insect larvae and small invertebrates. Spawns in spring, like most fish.
This type of fish also belongs to the carp family. Feeds almost food of plant origin. It can grow in length up to 1 m 20 cm and weigh up to 32 kg. It has a high growth rate. White carp is distributed throughout the world.
The diet of the silver carp consists of microscopic particles of plant origin. It is a large representative of the carp family. This is a heat loving fish. The silver carp has teeth that can grind vegetation. It lends itself easily to acclimatization. Silver carp is grown artificially.
Due to the fact that it grows rapidly, it is of interest for industrial breeding. Can gain up to 8 kg of weight in a short time. For the most part, it is distributed in Central Asia and in China. It spawns in spring, loves water areas where there is an intense current.
This is a very large representative of freshwater reservoirs, capable of growing up to 3 meters in length and weighing up to 400 kg. Catfish has a brown tint, but does not have scales. Inhabits almost all water bodies of Europe and Russia, where there are appropriate conditions: clean water, the presence of aquatic vegetation and a suitable depth.
This is a small representative of the catfish family, which prefers small reservoirs (channels) with warm water. In our time, it was brought from America, where there are quite a lot of it and most anglers are engaged in catching it.
Its spawning occurs in conditions when the water temperature reaches +28ºС. Therefore, it can be found only in the southern regions.
It is a fish from the river eel family and prefers freshwater reservoirs. This is a snake-like predator that is found in the Baltic, Black, Azov and Barents Seas. Prefers to be in areas with a clay bottom. Its diet consists of small animals, crayfish, worms, larvae, snails, etc. Able to grow in length up to 47 cm and gain weight up to 8 kg.
This is a heat-loving fish that is found in water bodies located in large climatic zones. Its appearance resembles a snake. A very strong fish that is not so easy to catch.
It is a representative of cod-like fish and looks like a catfish in appearance, but it does not grow to the size of a catfish. This is a cold-loving fish that leads an active lifestyle in winter. Its spawning also occurs during the winter months. It hunts mainly at night, while leading a benthic lifestyle. Burbot refers to industrial species of fish.
This is a small fish with a long body, covered with very small scales. It can easily be confused with an eel or a snake if you have never seen one in your life. It grows in length up to 30 cm, or even more, if growth conditions favor. It is found in small rivers or ponds where there is a muddy bottom. It prefers to be closer to the bottom, and on the surface it can be seen during rain or thunderstorms.
The char belongs to the salmon family of fish species. Due to the fact that the fish does not have scales, it got its name. Grows to a small size. Its meat under the influence of low temperatures does not decrease in volume. It is characterized by the presence of fatty acids, such as omega-3, that can resist inflammatory processes.
It lives in rivers and feeds on various types of fish. Distributed in the rivers of Ukraine. Prefers shallow water areas. It can grow in length up to 25 cm. It reproduces by caviar, at a water temperature within + 8ºС. After spawning, it can live no more than 2- + x years.
The life expectancy of this fish is considered to be about 27 years. It grows in length up to 1 m 25 cm, gaining weight up to 16 kg. It is distinguished by a dark gray-brown color. In winter, it practically does not feed and goes to the depths. It has a valuable commercial value.
This fish lives only in the basin of the Danube arm and is not common anywhere else. It belongs to the family of salmon fish species and is a unique representative of the fish fauna of Ukraine. Danube salmon is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine and it is forbidden to catch it. Can live up to 20 years, feeds mainly on small fish.
It also belongs to the salmon family and prefers rivers with a rapid current and cold water. It grows in length from 25 to 55 cm, while gaining weight from 0.2 to 2 kg. The diet of trout includes small crustaceans and insect larvae.
It is a representative of the Evdoshkov family, reaches a size of about 10 cm, while gaining a weight of 300 grams. It occurs in the basins of the Danube and Dniester rivers. At the first danger, it burrows into the silt. Spawning occurs in March or April. Likes to eat fry and small invertebrates.
This fish is caught on an industrial scale in Edver, the Urals. Spawns at temperatures not higher than +10ºС. This is a predatory fish species that loves fast-flowing rivers.
This is a freshwater species of fish that belongs to the carp family. It grows up to 60 cm in length and gains up to 5 kg of weight. The fish has a dark color and is common in the Caspian, Black and Azov seas.
River fish without bones
Virtually no bones
- in maritime language.
- In fish of the sturgeon family, belonging to the chordate order.
Despite the fact that the water has a certain density, the body of the fish is ideally suited for movement in such conditions. And this applies not only to river, but also to sea fish.
Typically, her body has an elongated, torpedo-like body shape. In extreme cases, her body is spindle-shaped, which contributes to unhindered movement in the water. These fish include salmon, podust, chub, asp, sabrefish, herring, etc. In still water, most fish have a flat flattened body on both sides. These fish include carp, bream, rudd, roach, etc.
Among the many species of river fish, there are both peaceful fish and real predators. They are distinguished by the presence of sharp teeth and a wide mouth, which makes it easy to swallow fish and other living creatures. Such fish include pike, burbot, catfish, pike perch, perch and others. Such a predator as a pike during an attack is capable of developing a huge initial speed. In other words, she literally instantly swallows her victim. Predators such as perch always hunt in packs. Pike perch leads a benthic lifestyle and starts hunting only at night. This testifies to his uniqueness, or rather, his unique vision. He is able to see his prey in absolute darkness.
But there are also small predators that do not differ in the large size of their mouths. Although, such a predator as an asp does not have a huge mouth, such as a catfish, for example, and it feeds only on fish fry.
Many fish, depending on habitat conditions, may have a different shade. In addition, in different reservoirs there may be a different food base, which can significantly affect the size of the fish.
Atperch fish, the first two rays in the anal fin are in the form of spines. The dorsal fin consists of two parts: prickly and soft, which in some species are connected, in others they are isolated. The jaws have bristle-shaped teeth, some species have fangs. The scales are ctenondic. This family includes over 160 species belonging to nine genera. Perch - inhabitants of fresh and brackish waters of the northern hemisphere.1 - Common ruff (G. cernua),
2 - Common chop (A. zingel),
3 - Common zander (S. lucioperca),
4 - Bersh (S. volgensis),
5 - Balkhash perch (P. schrenki),
6 - Common perch (P. fluviatilis),
7 - eteostomy (E. Pallidida),
8 - percarina (P. demidoffi). In this family, two subfamilies are distinguished - perch-like (Percinae) and zander-like (Luciopercinae). The differences between them are determined by the degree of development of the interhemal ossicles, spines in the anal fin, and the lateral line. Parallel evolution resulted in convergently similar small benthic fish with reduced swim bladders in each of the subfamilies. In representatives of the perch-like subfamily (ruffs, perches, percarines, North American darters), the anterior interhemal bone is more developed than the rest, the spines in the anal fin are strong, and the lateral line does not extend onto the caudal fin.
The most widespread are perch (North America, Europe, North Asia), then pike perch (North America and Europe) and ruffs (Europe and North Asia). Chops, sculpin and perkarina are found only in the Azov-Black Sea basin, darters - in North America.
Fish of the perch genus (Regsa) have two dorsal fins. The cheeks are completely covered with scales. The operculum has one flat spine, the preoperculum is serrated behind, with hooked spines below. Bristle-shaped teeth are located in several rows on the jaws, palatine, externary, on the pharyngeal bones; there are no fangs. This genus includes three types of perch: common, yellow and Balkhash perch.
Common perch (P. fluviatilis) is found in Europe (except Spain, Italy, Northern Scandinavia), in Northern Asia, up to the Kolyma basin, but it is not in the Balkhash, Issyk-Kul and Amur basins, with the exception of Lake Kenon near Chita , where it was introduced at the beginning of the 19th century, took root well there and became a commercial fish. At the end of the last century, it was introduced into the reservoirs of Australia. It lives in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, flowing ponds, brackish and even alpine lakes (at an altitude of 1000 m). In some lakes - the only representative of the ichthyofauna.
The perch is beautifully and brightly colored: dark green back, greenish-yellow sides dotted with 5-9 dark transverse stripes; caudal, anal, pelvic fins bright red, pectoral fins yellow. The first dorsal is gray with a large black spot in the back, the second is greenish yellow. The eyes are orange. However, depending on the reservoir, its color changes. In forest peat lakes, for example, it is completely dark.
In large lakes and reservoirs, it forms ecological forms confined to different parts of the reservoir: small coastal, grass perch and large deep. The grass perch grows slowly; zooplankton and insect larvae are of great importance in its nutrition. Deep perch - a predator, grows quickly. The largest individuals reach a length of 40 cm and a mass of more than 2 kg (a perch 55 cm long and weighing 3 kg was noted). Large perches look humpbacked, as they grow more in height and thickness than in length. Sexual maturity is reached early: males - at 1-2 years, females - at 3 years and later. The latter, depending on the size, lay 12-300 and even 900 thousand eggs. They spawn at temperatures from 7-8 to 15°C. Caviar is laid on last year's vegetation, snags, roots, willow branches, and even on the ground. Masonry is a hollow mesh tube of gelatinous substance, the walls of which have a cellular structure. Eggs are arranged in 2-3 pieces on each side of the cell. The diameter of the developing egg is about 3.5 mm. The yolk contains a large fat droplet. The masonry, hung on various objects, resembles lace ribbons. The length and width of the clutch depends on the size of the female. In small ones, its length ranges from 12 to 40 cm, in large ones it reaches 1 m or more. In the coastal zone, short clutches are more common, and larger ones at depth. This can be judged by measuring the masonry laid on spruce brooms that were previously lowered to different depths, which are artificial spawning grounds. The gelatinous substance in which the eggs are enclosed probably protects them from saprolegnia (mold fungus) and enemies - various invertebrates and fish. In some lakes, which are not very deep and sufficiently transparent, one can count the number of laid eggs and thus determine the absolute number of females in the spawning part of the herd. In the first year of life, small perches - "ostrechenki" in rivers stay in coastal thickets, in lakes and reservoirs they show wide ecological plasticity in terms of food choice. Some behave like true planktophages, feeding in the pelagial, others stick to coastal thickets, feeding on invertebrates or preying there. Perch can switch to predatory feeding already at a length of 2-4 cm, but usually becomes a predator at a length of more than 10 cm. It feeds both on juveniles of other species and on its own, its cannibalism is especially pronounced in lakes, where it is the only representative of the ichthyofauna. For the growth of 1 kg of perch, 5.5 kg of other fish is spent.
The perch makes small movements to the places of spawning and fattening. From large rivers and lakes, it often rises to the tributaries for spawning and spawns on the spill. After spawning, it makes feeding migrations, for example, to the lakes of the Meshcherskaya lowland, located in the floodplain of the Ira and Oka rivers, in July it comes to fattening numerous juveniles. In winter, perch leave the lakes, because due to a decrease in the oxygen content in the water, the living conditions in them deteriorate sharply.
The wide distribution and high abundance made perch an accessible prey for many fish (catfish, pike, pike perch, burbot). Birds (gulls, terns) also attack him. Perch are caught in significant numbers, up to half of the fish catch in some lakes. Thanks to the huge voracity and behavioral characteristics of the perch, amateur fishermen catch it throughout the year with a variety of gear: float rods, mugs, a track for a mormyshka, and a sheer lure. Perch takes willingly; often, having fallen off the hook, he grabs the nozzle again and again until he is completely hooked. This fish is insensitive to pain. Anglers have seen how a perch, catching an eye on a hook and thus losing it, soon fell on the same hook, seduced by its own eye. He is not afraid of noise. In the Neman delta, even a special method of winter fishing is used, in which it is lured by blows on an oak board, lowered end into the hole. To catch a large perch, fishermen on the lakes of the Leningrad region make a noise with their rods, slightly reminiscent of the noise of a jumping fish. Perch often keeps among the piles of destroyed mill dams, near large stones, hiding near flooded snags. Small perches climb inside cans and even bottles placed on the bottom. Thus they are caught by small anglers.
In lakes, reservoirs and ponds rich in valuable commercial species (whitefish, trout, bream, carp, pike perch), perch is a weedy fish: it feeds on the same food as commercial fish and eats their caviar. In such reservoirs, it is necessary to reduce the number of perch - to increase its catch, and most importantly, to limit reproduction. For this purpose, artificial spawning grounds are placed in the reservoir, which are then removed with the perch caviar deposited on them.
In the second half of the XIX century. common perch from the UK was transported to the waters of Tasmania, Australia, and somewhat later New Zealand, and everywhere it took root well. Spawning takes place in early spring - in July - August, at a water temperature of 10-12°C. The regulation of rivers contributes to the growth of its population. It is valued as an excellent object of sport fishing. The introduction of perch into some water bodies of South Africa was unsuccessful, although an outbreak of its abundance was observed in the first years after introduction.
Balkhash perch (P. schrenki) is common in Balkhash and Alakul, in the Ili River and lakes of its floodplain. It differs from the common perch in its lighter coloration, more elongated body, the absence of a black spot on the dorsal fin and transverse dark stripes in adult fish, a lower first dorsal fin, and a protruding lower jaw. He lives in a variety of conditions, found both in fast rivers of the semi-mountain type, and in heavily overgrown ponds. In Balkhash it forms two forms: pelagic and coastal. The coastal perch feeds on zooplankton, benthos, grows slowly, at the age of 8 years it has a length of 12-15 cm, a weight of 25-50 g. kg. By the nature of its diet, this species is a predator; it feeds on chars, juveniles of other species, but especially often eats its own juveniles. When the water warms up to more than 20°C, the feeding intensity of the perch decreases, it moves away from the shores. In autumn it feeds on perch underyearlings, which form significant concentrations in the coastal zone, but stops feeding in winter. Spawning in the Western part of Balkhash takes place in April, in the Eastern part - in May. The main spawning grounds are desalinated shallow areas along the coastline, as well as in the Ili delta. Balkhash perch reaches a length of 50 cm and a mass of 1.5 kg. Near the borders of its range, it interbreeds with common perch. Such hybrids are found in a number of lakes in Northern Kazakhstan. In Balkhash, before the introduction of zander, perch was a commercial fish, it was caught and prepared in salted, dried and frozen form. Introduced into Balkhash, pike perch consumes large quantities of perch, as a result, the number of the latter has greatly decreased.
Yellow perch (P. flavescens) is common in North America, east of the Rocky Mountains, the northern limit of its range is the Great Slave Lake, James Bay. Nova Scotia: southern - Kansas, headwaters of the Missouri. Along the Atlantic coast, the range extends south and borders Florida and Alabama. In structure and way of life, this species is very close to the common perch, differing from it in color. Olive on the back, it fades to golden yellow on the flanks and white on the belly. There are eight transverse dark stripes along the body. Maximum weight up to 1.6 kg. Fertility - 75 thousand eggs. It is an important object of sport fishing, especially in the Great Lakes, at all seasons of the year. The usual catch of fishermen is perch weighing 100-300 g, in some lakes perch weighing 400-800 g are quite often caught. In the northern lakes, where the average weight of perch in catches is 200 g and more, commercial fishing is developed.
The ruff genus (Gymnocephalus) is characterized by the fact that the prickly and soft parts of the dorsal fin are fused together, there are large cavities of sensory canals on the head, and the teeth on the jaws are bristle-shaped. Four types of ruffs are known: ordinary, Danube, privet, striped.
Common ruff (G. cernua) is common in Europe, west to France, and in North Asia, up to the Kolyma. It is not found in Spain, Italy, Greece, the Transcaucasus and the Amur basin. Inhabits bays of large rivers, small tributaries, lakes, flowing ponds. Prefers slow flowing waters and avoids northern fast flowing rivers.
Its back is gray-green with blackish spots and dots, its sides are somewhat yellowish, and its belly is whitish. Dorsal and caudal fins with black dots. The color of the fish depends on the habitat: the ruff is lighter in rivers and lakes with a sandy bottom than with a muddy one. The eyes of the ruff have a dull purple, sometimes even a bluish iris. The usual length is 8-12 cm, weight 15-25 g, sometimes reaches a length of more than 20 cm and a weight of more than 100 g. Large specimens are found in Siberian rivers, the Gulf of Ob, and some Ural lakes. In most reservoirs, ruff matures at 2-3 years, sometimes males spawn at the age of one year. In the reservoirs of Karelia, the Bukhtarma reservoir, the Yenisei reaches sexual maturity at 3-4 years, and in the Gulf of Ob - even at 5 years. Accordingly, life expectancy increases. The age limit for ruff in catches from different water bodies ranges from 7 to 12-13 years. Its spawning usually begins at a temperature of 6-8 and ends at 18-20°C. In one spawning season, females spawn several portions of caviar. The total fecundity of individuals 15-18 cm long is up to 100 thousand eggs. Caviar with a diameter of about 1 mm has a large fat drop and a sticky shell. Females scatter eggs, which are attached to grains of sand, pebbles, less often to underwater plant roots, woody remains. Immediately after hatching, young ruffs feed on zooplankton, but soon switch to feeding on benthos. The activity of the ruff increases at dusk and at night, at which time it goes out into shallow water and actively feeds. At the same time, it consumes 14.4 g of chironomid larvae per 1 kg of mass, 6 times more than bream.
It feeds throughout the year. Early maturation, high fecundity provide a rapid increase in its numbers in the reservoir. Ruff has a detrimental effect on the conditions for fattening valuable commercial fish, especially bream.
The content of ruffs in the aquarium allows you to follow some aspects of his behavior. Ruffs, released into the aquarium, immediately hid in the corners, and some hid in a specially placed shelter - a flower pot. Soon a struggle began between the fish for possession of a shelter. They drove each other out, hitting the enemy with their snouts, pulling the fins, tearing off the scales. After several days of struggle, one of the ruffs firmly took possession of the shelter and did not let any of his relatives close, who huddled in the corners of the aquarium and soon died. The remaining ruff almost did not leave the shelter, jumping out only for a moment to grab food. The perch that lived for some time in the aquarium sometimes climbed into his shelter, and they peacefully, side by side, spent the whole day. Other fish in the aquarium: verkhovka, minnows, silver bream - ruff did not notice. With the onset of spring, he perked up, began to show aggressiveness towards other fish. At the sight of food with splayed fins, he jumped out of the shelter, drove away all the fish and did not let anyone near the food until he had eaten himself. It is possible that the ruff also drives other fish away from their feeding areas in the reservoir. It is known from fishing practice that in places rich in ruff, no other fish, except perch, is found. An increase in the number of ruff in water bodies is very undesirable. To combat it, it is necessary to maintain a high number of predatory fish, especially pike perch, and also to actively catch ruff in spawning grounds.
Nosar, or privet (G. acerina) differs from the ruff in a long snout and smaller scales. It occurs in the basins of the Black and Azov Seas, in the Dniester, the Southern Bug, the Dnieper, the Don, the Kuban and the Donets in a fairly fast current, where the common ruff is usually absent. The color of the body is yellowish, the back is mostly olive green, the belly is silvery white, and there are several rows of dark spots on the sides of the body and dorsal fin, which makes the fish seem very colorful. A ruff is somewhat larger than a ruff, its usual length is 8-13 cm, 16-20 cm in length are quite common. They spawn in spring, before ruffs, in fast-flowing rivers, on clean sandy ground. Caviar bottom, sticky, with a large fat drop. Due to the low water temperature, development is slow. At a temperature of 14°C hatching occurs in 7-8 days. The hatched larvae are slightly larger than 4 mm and spend a significant part of their time in the bottom layers. The yolk dissolves after 9-10 days, during this period the larvae are photophilous, lead a pelagic lifestyle and are carried downstream down the river. It feeds on various benthic invertebrates and small fish. The meat of the privet is tender, fishermen highly appreciate the privet fish soup.
Striped ruff (G. schraetser) is common in the Danube, from Bavaria up to the delta, comes across in the Black Sea before the mouth of the Danube, in the Kamchia River (Bulgaria). It has 3-4 black longitudinal stripes on its sides. The length of the striped ruff is 20-24 cm. Like a privet, it prefers fast-flowing waters with a sandy-stony bottom.
The Danube ruff (G. baloni) is found only in the Danube basin and, like the common ruff, prefers the slowly flowing waters of the plains.
The genus Percarina (Percarina) with one species (P. demidoffi) is close to ruffs, but differs in that these fish have two dorsal fins, although they are in contact. The prelid is provided with spikes along the edge. The posterior edge of the gill cover rests on a spine located on the upper part of the cleithrum. The scales are thin, easily falling off. Perkarina lives in the northern, slightly saline parts of the Black and Azov Seas. This little fish (the maximum length is about 10 cm) has a yellowish body color with a pinkish-purple tint on the back, silvery sides and belly. there are several dark spots on the back at the base of the dorsal fin, all fins are transparent, without spots.
Perkarina begins to breed in the second year of life, spawns in portions, spawns throughout the summer, from June to August. Caviar is small, sticks to the substrate at the bottom. The hatched larvae first lie on the bottom, then from time to time begin to float up, and after two days they rise to the surface and switch to a pelagic way of life. The juveniles feed on small invertebrates, then exclusively on the crustacean calanipeda and mysids, and upon reaching a length of 4 cm, on juvenile gobies and sprats. At different times of the day, percarina feeds on different organisms: during the daytime it consumes crustaceans, and at night it mainly consumes sprat. Perkarina hunts for kilka, guided by the organs of the lateral line, which are well developed in her. This is a weedy fish, it secretes a lot of mucus and therefore, when caught together with a sprat, the value of the catches of the latter is greatly reduced. Percarina feeds on pike perch.
American darters belong to three genera: pepper (Percina, 30 species), ammocrypta (Ammocrypta, five species), and eteostoma (Etheostoma, 84 species). Distributed in the eastern part of North America: the western border of their range lies near the Rocky Mountains, the northern one - in the south of Canada, the southern one - in the north of Mexico. Darters are small fish, their usual length is 3-10 cm. Only a very few reach 15-20 cm. The preoperculum is completely smooth along the edge or in some it is slightly serrated, the mouth is small. Two dorsal fins, the first spiny usually lower than the second, supported by soft rays. The tail fin is rounded. The pectoral fins are very large, they help to stay on the ground and make quick throws when moving. In connection with the bottom way of life, a reduction of the swim bladder is observed, which is completely absent in species of the genus Eteostoma. The coloration of most species is very bright, variegated, as a result of a combination of different shades of pink, red, yellow, green and dark spots.
Darters are found in various types of water bodies, but most of them prefer streams and small rivers with a fast current. They stay near the bottom, hiding under stones or, if the ground is sandy, burrowing into it. When danger approaches, they quickly, like an arrow from a bow (hence their English name darter), take off, move a short distance and, just as suddenly stopping, hide again under stones or in the ground.
Life expectancy is not more than 5-7 years. They become sexually mature in the third year of life. Females have a genital papilla, which is especially well developed in large individuals. In males of many species during spawning, a nuptial attire appears: epithelial tubercles develop on the lower part of the sides of the body and on the belly, and the brightness of the color increases. Many darters form pairs, among them there are peculiar spawning games, fights of males. Species take care of their offspring by guarding their eggs. Others do not directly protect the eggs, but, being near the spawning ground, they are always ready to protect their spawning area from the invasion of other individuals. But there are species that, having buried their eggs to a depth of several millimeters, leave the sites and never visit them again.
Darters feed mainly on insect larvae: chironomids, mayflies and stoneflies. The lightning speed of their movements, the ability to hide make it difficult for other fish to hunt them. But in some waters they are an important food for sport fish, especially trout. They are used as bait for fishing. Some artificial lures mimic the look of darters. The species diversity of darters is enormous; their fauna has not been fully studied.
Subfamily zander-like (Luciopercinae). They have interhemal ossicles of the same size, the spines in the anal fin are weak, and the lateral line reaches the caudal fin. Pike-perch-like ones include pike-perch, chops, and Romanian sculpin perch.
Genus pike perch (Stizostedion, or Lucioperca). In zander, the body is elongated, the pelvic fins are spread wider than in perches, the lateral line continues to the caudal fin, and there are usually fangs on the jaw and palatine bones. The genus includes five species: common zander, bersh, sea zander live in the waters of Europe; Canadian and lightfin zander - in the eastern part of North America.
Common zander (S. lucioperca). Pike-perch have 19-24 branched rays in the second dorsal fin, and 11-13 in the anal fin, the cheeks (preoperculum) are bare or partially covered with scales, the fangs on the jaws are strong. This is the largest representative of perch fish, reaching a length of 130 cm and a weight of 20 kg. The usual length of pike perch is 60-70 cm, weight 2-4 kg. The back of the walleye is greenish-gray, with 8-12 brown-black stripes on the sides. The dorsal and caudal fins have dark spots, the rest are pale yellow. Pike perch is common in the basin of the Baltic, Black, Azov and Aral Seas and in the Marina River, which flows into the Aegean Sea. The range of pike perch is expanding due to active human activity. At the end of the XIX century. it has been introduced to some UK lakes. In the 1950s, pike perch was introduced into Issyk-Kul, Balkhash, Biylikul, Chebarkul lakes (Chelyabinsk region), and into the Ust-Kamenogorsk reservoir. Within the limits of its natural range, it is settled in reservoirs where it was previously absent: in some lakes of Karelia, Latvia, in the reservoirs named after. Moscow, Moskvoretskaya system and other reservoirs.
According to the way of life, two forms of pike perch are distinguished: residential, or non-water, and semi-anadromous. Residential zander inhabits rivers and clean lakes. In lakes and reservoirs, it lives in the pelagic zone, where it stays at different depths depending on the location of the main objects of its nutrition, the oxygen content and the temperature of the living water. Pike prefers a temperature of 14-18°C. Avoids water bodies with unfavorable oxygen conditions. The semi-anadromous pike perch is common in the brackish waters of the southern seas of Russia and rises to the rivers Dnieper, Volga, Ural, Don, Kuban for spawning. Becomes sexually mature at 3-5 years, living somewhat later - at 4-7 years. His caviar is small, the fecundity is high, for example, the Kuban pike perch has from 200 thousand to 1 million eggs. Spring spawning occurs in the coastal zone, at dawn. The place for laying eggs is chosen by the male and clears it of silt. Spawning substrate can be very different. In the Don, Kuban, Volga, the female lays eggs on vegetation, in many lakes and reservoirs - on sand, and in the Curonian Lagoon of the Baltic Sea - on stones. Such plasticity of pike perch in relation to the substrate contributes to the fact that this fish successfully lays eggs on artificial spawning grounds (spruce branches, bast, synthetic fibers sewn to burlap, on slate sheets). The male guards the laid eggs, protects them from silting, washing away the settling silt with frequent and strong movements of the pectoral fins. Actively protects eggs from other pike perch, but almost does not pay attention to other fish scurrying around: roach, perch, stickleback; moreover, roach often lays eggs in the zander nest, which is a kind of "nesting parasitism". If the "sentry" zander leaves the nest, it is sometimes replaced by another one.
The rate of development of eggs depends on temperature: at 9-11°C, the larvae hatch after 10-11 days, at 18(20) after 3-4 days. After absorption of the yolk sac, the larvae feed on zooplankton. : mysids, cumaceans, as well as juvenile fish.If juvenile zander is provided with suitable food, they grow quickly and reach a length of 10-15 cm by autumn. swallows a fish that is running, therefore its favorite food in the northern lakes is smelt, roach, in the lakes of the middle zone - ruff, perch, bleak, roach, in the southern seas - kilka, gobies.Thus, pike perch feeds mainly on low-value fish.Per 1 kg mass, it consumes 3.3 kg of other fish. This is less than what is required for pike and perch. Therefore, it is readily bred in different water bodies. The growth rate of pike perch in different water bodies is different. In northern lakes and reservoirs, it grows much worse e, than in the southern ones, the semi-anadromous pike grows faster than the residential pike perch of most populations. Accordingly, the age of puberty also fluctuates greatly. Semi-anadromous zander becomes sexually mature on average at the age of 3-5 years, residential - later - at 4-7 years. The zander also has enemies. Its larvae feed on invertebrates, especially cyclops. Juvenile pike perch, pike, eel, catfish consume.
Pike perch is a very valuable commercial fish. It is also caught by amateur fishermen. It is best caught in the morning, in the evening or at night. After regulation of the flow of rivers in the southern seas of Russia, the natural conditions for pike perch spawning deteriorated. Currently, most of the pike perch is reproduced in special fish farms. It becomes an important commercial fish in the reservoirs of the European part of Russia, as well as in the lakes Balkhash, Issyk-Kul, in the Bukhtarma reservoir.
Bersh (S. volgensis) differs from zander in that it has no fangs on the lower jaw and the preoperculum is completely covered with scales. The length of the bersh is less than that of zander: it reaches 45 cm and weighs 1.2-1.4 kg. Lives in the rivers of the Caspian, Azov and Black moraines, mainly in the lower and middle reaches. Basically, it is a fish of the lower reaches of the rivers, but it enters the Caspian Sea, it is common in the southern reservoirs - Tsimlyansk, Volgograd, Kuibyshev. But as we move north, the timing of spawning shifts from April - May in the Volga delta to May - June to the Kuibyshev reservoir. After hatching, the larvae feed on small zooplankton, and when they reach a length of 40 mm or more, they switch to feeding on benthos. The transition to predatory feeding on fish (underyearlings of cyprinids and perch fish) is observed in the bersh in the second year of life. Bersh longer than 15 cm feeds exclusively on fish. Due to the lack of fangs and relatively narrow throat, it cannot capture and swallow large prey. The length of the prey ranges from 0.5 to 7.5 cm, but usually 3-5 cm. Adult bershi are intensively fattened in the spring with overwintered yearlings and in the autumn with grown-up fingerlings of fish, in summer the intensity of its feeding decreases.
The sea zander (S. marina), like the common one, has fangs on the jaws, but it differs in the number of branched rays on the anal fin, which it has less (15-18 versus 19-24). Sea pike perch, common in the north-western part of the Black Sea, singly enters the mouths of the Danube, the Bug; zander living in the middle and southern Caspian avoids desalinated areas. Its length reaches 50-60 cm, weight up to 2 kg. Sexual maturity occurs at 2-4 years. The caviar is larger than that of the common zander. Depending on the size, fertility ranges from 13,000 to 126,000 eggs. For breeding comes to the coast. Spawns in spring on rocky ground. The sea pike-perch takes care of the caviar and protects it from being eaten by numerous gobies. This fish is a predator, whose food is sprats, slats, herring fry, shrimps. Its commercial value is small.
North American pike perch - lightfin (S. vitreum) and Canadian (S. canadense) - according to a number of morphological features, are closer to sea pike perch than to ordinary pike perch. In terms of distribution, in relation to salinity and size, the light-finned pike-perch is to some extent an analogue of the common pike-perch, and the Canadian one is the bersh. The range of the first extends along the Atlantic coast, from Quebec, through New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, then along the western slope of the Appalachians goes south to Alabama and east to Oklahoma. In the north and along the Mackenzie River, lightfin zander almost reach the waters of the Arctic. The range of the Canadian walleye is narrower. From the north it is bounded by the basin of the Saskatchewan River and James Bay, in the east by the western part of the state of Virginia, in the south by the Tennessee rivers in Alabama and the Red River in Texas. The western border runs through the states of Kansas, Wyoming, and Montana. Both species prefer large rivers and lakes. The light-finned zander enters the desalinated areas of some bays of the Atlantic Ocean.
Dull yellow-olive coloration on the back and sides of the light-finned zander turns into white on the belly. On the sides there are 6-7 transverse stripes. The presence of a dark spot at the caudal fin and on the back of the first dorsal fin, a peculiar silvery or milky-white coloration of the end of the lower lobe of the caudal fin make it easy to distinguish it from the Canadian zander. They differ among themselves and in the number of pyloric appendages. The scatterfin has three and they are long, while the Canadian walleye has 3-9 (usually five) and is short. The maximum weight of the lightfin zander in catches is 4.8-6.4 kg, as an exception 8 kg, and the Canadian - 3.2 kg.
The fecundity of lightfin zander is 25-700 thousand eggs. Spawning usually occurs at night, after spawning, pike perches leave the spawning ground, they do not care about the laid eggs. Depending on feeding conditions, juveniles grow up to 10-30 cm during the summer. In the southern part of the range, they mature in the third year and live no more than 6-7 years. In the north, it grows more slowly, matures at 4-5 years, life expectancy increases to 12-15 years. This fish is a favorite object of sport fishing. Much about the life of pike perch has become known thanks to the observations of amateur fishermen. It turned out that they prefer to stay in the bottom layers of water, near sandy spits, forming small clusters. Actively takes the bait after sunset; a bait that closely mimics the live fish it feeds on in nature is the best.
Chopa genus (Zingel, or Aspro) differs from ruffs in spindle-cylindrical body shape, two noticeably spaced dorsal fins, and smooth lower edge of preoperculum. The genus includes three species: common, small and French chop. Common chop (A. zingel) lives in the Danube and its tributaries, from Bavaria to the delta, and in the Dniester. The color of the body is grayish-yellow, on the sides there are four dark brown stripes. It reaches a length of 30-40 cm, the maximum length is 48 cm. It keeps near the bottom, in large rivers it is found in the channel part; Feeds on benthic invertebrates and small fish. Spawns eggs in March-April in the riverbed, on pebbles. Caviar small, sticky. Small chop (Z. streber) is common in the Danube and its tributaries, like an ordinary chop, and in the Vardar River (Aegean Sea basin). Compared to an ordinary chop, it has a more bouncy body; keeps in areas with even faster current. French chop (Z. asper) lives in the Rhone basin, in appearance and lifestyle is close to the small chop.
Sculpin (Romanichthys) with one species of R. valsnicola. First described in 1957 from small tributaries of the upper section of the Argesh River (Danube basin). Shows significant convergent similarity to American darter. The preoperculum has a smooth edge. The pectoral and ventral fins are quite large, there are two dorsal fins, the genital papilla (genital papilla) is well developed. The sculpin reaches a length of 12.5 cm. It lives in mountain rivers, usually hides under stones, and feeds on stonefly larvae and other rheophilic species. Probably, it can already be attributed to an endangered species, since the construction of dams, deforestation, the use of land for crops, water pollution with chemicals have greatly changed the ecological situation in its habitats. The reduction in its abundance was facilitated not only by abiotic factors, but also by the aggravation of competitive relations with some loaches and cyprinids, which turned out to be more adapted to the changed conditions.
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river spiny fish
Alternative descriptionsBony fish with spiny fins from the perch family
Common name for incompatible or poorly digestible mixtures of various spirits
Serrated nail, with a notch, for a fortress; stubborn, grumpy person
A mixture of vodka and beer, quickly intoxicating
Lamp glass cleaning brush
Nail or crutch with notches
weed fish
Scorpio
River fish, as a result of mixing beer with vodka
Colloquial name for a mixture of incompatible drinks
Previously, this was the name of a large nail with notches: if you hammer it, you won’t pull it out, but now they call it fish
Beer without vodka - money down the drain, and beer with vodka - what will happen?
. "fish" for bottles
spiny fish
Perch family fish
Both fish and brush
. "bristle" perch
. "fish" for washing bottles
Beer with vodka
jagged nail
Fish from a Russian cocktail
fish name cocktail
Cocktail in Russian
Prickly, but in the ear will go
What kind of fish can you drink?
Spiny and "snotty" fish
Cocktail with a fish name
What kind of fish is called a brush?
. "toilet" fish
Boat "Sch-303"
Spiny perch relative
Vodka cocktail with beer
. "fish" cocktail
Stunning "fish"
Alcoholic cocktail
floating barb
Pure Russian cocktail
. "drunk" fish
Scorpion is a sea...
River fish of the perch family
Bottle brush
. (colloquial) a mixture of vodka with beer or wine, causing rapid intoxication
jagged nail
Perch family fish
A small bony river fish of the perch family with spiny fins
. "Intoxicating" fish
. "Bristled" perch
. "Fish" for washing bottles
. "Fish" cocktail
. "Toilet" fish
. "fish" for bottles
What fish is called a brush
What kind of fish can you drink
Spiny and "snotty" fish
Boat "Sch-303"
M. fish bonfire, beaver, nail, Acerina cernua; its type, rissica, kalma and kalman, also a bodir, etc. A jagged nail, with a notch, for a fortress. An obstinate, grumpy person. Become a ruff, resist, resist. Ruffs on the body stood up, the frost ran through, a goose skin twitched. Ruff in the first hall, to an unsuccessful fishery. Ruff would be in the ear, yes bream, (yes whitefish) in the pie. Here's a brush for you, cook a pot of fish soup! Ruffs are an undeniable food: you eat for a penny, but you spit out bread for a hryvnia. All ruffs, but not a single roach! i.e., all evil people. Billed a ruff with his forehead on a dashing bream, from a fairy tale. Struggled like a bream with a ruff, the same. Survived like a bream ruff, the same. He went to Ersheva settlement, drowned. Sea ruff, Chernomorsk. Scorpaena porcus. Ruff, related to the ruff. Ruffy, ruffy, stubborn, obstinate, Ershenik m. Eucalyptus plant. Rough nails, notch, notch, notch. Ruff the bolts. Ruffed or dead nail. -Xia, stubborn, stubborn. Ersheedy, the nickname of Belozersk, Ostash and Pskov
Beer without vodka - money down the drain, and beer with vodka - what will happen
Scorpion is a sea...
Stunning "fish"
Prickly, but in the ear will go
Cocktail made by a Russian man