The largest ratan fish. Rotan fish. Description, features and habitat of rotan fish. At the cost of his life

Rotan is a fish of the order Perciformes. Its body does not exceed 25 cm in length. Amur sleeper is found in the rivers of Primorye and in the Amur basin, but several decades ago it was introduced into many reservoirs, where in a short time it became the main inhabitant.

Rotan is a small fish, often called firebrand. Its color is dark, from brown to almost black. Brown spots are clearly visible on the belly and sides. Rotan is also distinguished by two separate dorsal fin. The closest relative of this species is the southern goby. The rotan's mouth is large, it is directed upward, protruding forward barely noticeably. Pelvic fins are separate. During spawning, males become almost black. Probably, it is for this reason and, perhaps, for its low mobility that rotan is called a firebrand.

This fish prefers to stay near flooded bushes, in small snags, and in shallows. It feeds mainly on animal food. Rotan is a fish that most prefers the eggs of fry, so it very quickly minimizes the number of other species in the reservoir. Very often, where this species settles, after a year or two there are no other fish left. Amur sleeper reproduces only in summer; females lay their eggs on the lower part of the leaves. aquatic plants. Most often, spawning occurs in thickets of pondweeds, egg capsules and water lilies. The number of eggs in one such clutch is about 10 thousand. Rotan is a very tenacious fish. It can survive even where other species, including crucian carp and tench, die.

Today, rotan is an inhabitant of almost all reservoirs in Russia with the exception of Crimean peninsula. But it is possible that it will soon appear in these places. It has been noticed that in those reservoirs where perch and pike are active, rotan fails to take a leading position. These species do not allow it to reproduce heavily and eat eggs peaceful fish. But in ponds and lakes where only crucian carp lives, rotan very quickly masters and becomes the master of the situation. Most often, this voracious fish turns out to be the only inhabitant of small reservoirs with very harsh living conditions. These are stagnant quarries, overgrown with mud, overgrown ponds. Rotan is able, no worse than crucian carp, to withstand a critical lack of oxygen and complete freezing of a reservoir in winter.

Rotan is a fish that can be a lot of fun to catch. The largest individuals stay under the cover of duckweed or under the wide leaves of water lilies. This behavior is completely unusual for bulls. When the reservoir is heavily overgrown, they look for clearings or windows among aquatic vegetation. Such places can be created artificially, even with the help of an ordinary shelf. Rotans are not at all shy. They float to a place free of vegetation very quickly, and are not bothered by the presence of humans. Another one spotted interesting feature. Rotan loves the red and white float very much. The reasons for this are not clear. But the fishermen noticed that it was he who attracted the attention of the nimble fish.

This is such an interesting rotan fish. A photo of her can be seen in this article. This fish has individuality and is undeservedly not popular among professional fishermen.

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Rotan fish, which has a second name of firebrand-rotan, is predatory fish and belongs to the family Goloveshkov. This fish is known for its gluttony and special ability to camouflage itself with color. environment(calorizer). Consequently, the color of the fish primarily depends on the tone of the water and the bottom and can be slightly green or almost black, as well as brown, gray and even yellow. Rotan is small fish, the maximum body length reaches 25 centimeters, with a weight of about 500 grams.

Initially, rotan lived in the Amur River, on Far East Russia, in the northern part North Korea and northeastern China. In the 20th century, the fish appeared in the Lake Baikal basin, and it was also released into the reservoirs of St. Petersburg, which led to the spread of rotan in most regions of Europe and Russia.

There are three main types of rotan fish, but only one is found in Russia - the firebrand, which has a large head and a dark body color. Few people know about such a fish as rotan, so a fish caught by a fisherman in the next region receives a new, newly invented “name”. On this moment The following types of rotan are known: goby, wrasse, grass weed, blacksmith, firebrand, livefish, gorlach, round log and others.

Calorie content of rotan

The calorie content of rotan is low, only 88 kcal per 100 grams of product.

Composition and beneficial properties of rotan

Rotan, like any other fish, is recommended for dietary nutrition, as it is easily digested and absorbed by the human body. Fish meat is rich in low-calorie and easily digestible proteins, vitamins, which have a positive effect on the immune system and human health. Rotan meat also contains the following valuable microelements.

Fishing for rotan is found in Lately an increasing number of admirers. The army of firebrand hunters on the first ice is especially numerous. There are fishermen who generally go in winter only for this fish, not recognizing any other.

The change in the situation with the Far Eastern monster, which was until recently neglected by everyone, can be explained by the following factors:

• the fishermen tasted the fish;
• catching rotan is very exciting and exciting;
• large rotan is a rare and desirable catch.

Ichthyology

Description

Rotan, or firebrand, is a fish of the firebrand family, the only representative of this genus. The homeland of this animal is the Far East of Russia, the Amur River basin. It is also common in the north of the Korean Peninsula and northeast China.

Contrary to popular belief that in European part It was brought to Russia by aquarists in the sixties and seventies of the last century, but this is far from true.

The first specimens of this fish were delivered to St. Petersburg even before the revolution, in 1916, and from there they began to slowly spread throughout the country’s water bodies.

Rotan looks a little scary. Its body is dense and round, the head occupies up to a third of the total size of the fish, hence one of its names. The color of the fish depends entirely on the bottom of the reservoir in which it lives and varies from light brown to dark gray.

Rotan reaches 25 centimeters in length and weighs up to three hundred grams. The usual size that satisfies the angler is two hundred gram specimens. On the Internet there is a mention of caught specimens weighing more than a kilogram, although, according to the network, the maximum specimen cannot weigh more than half a kilogram.

Location

Weight gain depends entirely on the food supply in the reservoir. It has been noticed that small firebrands predominate in small ponds and toad fields. Large rotans live in large flowing bodies of water with the presence of other predators that regulate their numbers.

Rotan fish are excellent live bait when fishing for pike, perch and pike perch. They don’t fall asleep on the hook for a long time and don’t try to hide in the grass thickets!

Although the Far Eastern guest has spread to almost all fresh water bodies, fishing for rotan is most promising in the following water bodies:

• oxbow lakes of large and medium-sized rivers, flooded during floods
• dams on small rivers;
• large collective farm ponds.

In this case, the following factors must take place:

• running water or springs;
• presence of a predator;
• depth of at least two meters;
• abundant aquatic vegetation.

Lifespan and reproduction

The life expectancy of the firebrand is short, up to 6-7 years. Rotan begins to spawn at the age of two. Spawning occurs in fairly warm water, 18-20 degrees, around the end of May - beginning of June.

Spawning among rotans occurs quite quietly compared to neighboring crucian carp and other inhabitants of reservoirs. At least there are no jumps, splashes or other noise visible on the pond. The female spawns eggs on the stems of aquatic plants; the number of eggs exceeds a thousand, after which one of the males guards the clutch for some time.

Nutrition

Rotan is a typical predator. The barely hatched rotan feeds on zooplankton, and as it grows, it switches to other animal food. The diet of firebrands is:

• shellfish;
• fish and frog caviar;
• fry;
• tadpoles;
• insects and their larvae;
• worms

Cannibalism is developed among firebrands. This is partly why large specimens never swim in schools, unlike their small relatives.

Vitality

A separate chapter of rotan life is their fantastic vitality. Unlike crucian carp, they do not bury themselves in mud when severe frosts and freezing of the reservoir, but clump into balls. Here they are enveloped in mucus, so that a positive temperature is maintained inside their cluster. In this state, the firebrands overwinter, even being frozen into the ice.

Anyone who caught rotan in winter noticed that frozen rotan carcasses folded into a bag come to life when thawed and remain mobile even after being cleaned and placed in a frying pan.

Catching

Let's move on to a description of what rotan fishing can be like. You can catch it all year round, but in order to catch fish of a normal, food-sized size, it is best to do this in the fall and winter.

Open water fishing

Catching rotan in the fall, however, like spring-summer period, is carried out in the following ways:

• float rod;
• spinning;
• a fishing rod with a side nod;
• winter fishing rod with a nod;
• winter live bait supply.

They don’t catch firebrands with bottom fire, because rotan mainly lives in the coastal zone, where it is easy to reach with a float, in addition, this predator bites better on active bait.

Float rod

The following is used as bait when catching firebrands with a float rod:

• worms;
• maggots;
• fish fry;
• snails;
• leeches.

In October and November, before the freeze-up, rotan catches the surface well; the intensity of its bite at this time is comparable to the activity on the first ice.

A rotan float is built according to the usual pattern of a Bolognese fishing rod, but you shouldn’t be delicate with the tackle, this predator can be caught without any special ceremony.

So, let’s assemble a float for catching firebrands:

1. Telescopic rod 4-5 meters long.
2. A simple inertia-free reel without any bells and whistles.
3. A fishing line with a diameter of 0.18-0.22 millimeters.
4. Float 1-5 grams.
5. Loading is simple, point or spaced – it doesn’t matter.
6. Hook big size with a long fore-end, as for catching perch with live bait, according to international classification number 8-10.

Fishing is done in this way:

1. The depth of the reservoir in the coastal zone is measured.
2. The required depth is set on the fishing rod: when fishing with a worm, the hook should lie on the bottom, when fishing with live bait - 10-15 centimeters above it.
3. The tackle is thrown into the water.
4. When using passive bait, you need to twitch the rod from time to time so that the bait drags along the bottom, tempting the sleeper to bite.
5. When fishing with live bait, a slight movement of the bait is also required, especially if fishing occurs in calm weather and the float does not move to the side.

The cutting of rotan must be done in a timely manner. It is difficult to determine this moment without experience. The fact is that rotan can approach the bait, and, having swallowed it with its wide mouth, stand still and suck it, as they say, to the guts.

On the other hand, when hooking early, you can tear the bait out of the firebrand’s mouth without allowing it to properly catch.

Spinning

Like any decent predator, rotan can also be caught using a spinning rod. As we noted earlier, and this is used in float fishing, the firebrand responds better to active baits.

Rotan bites especially well on a microjig. Miniature baits such as twisters and slugs are used as baits. For silicone worms, it is better to cut off part of the body so that the firebrand does not cling to the long tail. In this regard, edible rubber will work well, as it can deceive the firebrand with its taste, and it will not spit it out before the time of hooking.

Catching rotan with a spinning rod is carried out either by dragging, or by a very small step, one turn of the reel.

Texas and Carolina rigs work well for rotan, in which the bait is almost weightless and drags along the bottom like a leech or worm.

Side nod and winter fishing rod

Fishing with these two types of gear is similar. In both cases the same equipment and bait are used. These fishing methods differ only in the size of the rod.

The equipment of the nodding fishing rod in both versions is simple:

• fishing rod;
• nod;
• fishing line;
• spoon;
• bait.

The spinner in this gear is used to visually attract a predator, and adding bait tempts the sleeper directly to bite. On the one hand, the nod should be noticeable from a distance, and on the other hand, it should provide the bait with a spinner with a smooth, sweeping game.

Used as bait:

• Lung of birds and domestic animals. It holds the hook well and bleeds well.
• The liver has a good smell, but does not hold well.
• Lard, it’s lard in Africa too.
• Chicken intestines cut into one-centimeter slices, in addition to the smell, attract rotan by swaying on a spoon.
• Worms. They are better used in summer, but work worse in winter.

Winter live bait

This tackle is a regular winter fishing rod, equipped with the following elements:

• a bright gatehouse;
• fishing line with a diameter of 0.18 millimeters;
• sliding sinker;
• stopper;
• large live bait hook.

Put the top on the hook by the back or mouth and release it into the hole so that the distance to the bottom is from ten to twenty-five centimeters.

A few decades ago, ratan fish could only be found in Russia in the Far East. Today, fishermen from all over Russia are sounding the alarm, because ratan has appeared in their native waters - a fish that devours everything around. These unpretentious inhabitants of the standing ones are unusually prolific, tolerate all the hardships of the Russian climate well and feed on the eggs of other inhabitants of ponds and lakes.

Ratan fish: description

The most major representatives have a length of 30 cm, minimum size adult- 14 cm. Externally, the ratan is an unremarkable fish. It has an elongated shape, reminiscent of a firebrand. The color is often changeable, the color of the scales becomes bright black, the rest of the time gray, brown and green tones predominate.

The body is dense, with subtle spots and stripes visible on the back irregular shape. The photo of which is presented below is distinguished by its huge mouth. It is for this disproportionately large mouth that representatives of Perccottus glenii were given the name ratan. Many small but sharp teeth help deal with prey.

Living conditions

The waters of the Amur were originally the homeland of these predators. In the 19th century, seemingly harmless fish began to be imported into central Russia, released into the rivers of St. Petersburg and other cities. And thanks to its incredible vitality, the ratan multiplied so much that it began to displace other fish from reservoirs. This is due to the fact that the basis of the diet was the eggs of valuable species of tadpoles, larvae, insects, and mollusks. The very presence of this trash fish in the reservoir suggests that the remaining species are doomed to extinction. Damage is caused to the entire ichthyofauna.

It is very difficult to get rid of ratan, since this rat is very unpretentious to its living conditions. In order to survive the drought, the ratan is buried in muddy sediments, and with the onset of rains it continues its life activity as if nothing had happened. In frozen bodies of water, the predator overwinters well in the ice. In waters with poor food content, these fish practice cannibalism, eating their smaller relatives.

Scientists' opinions and economists' forecasts

For the reason that ratan is a fish that destroys ichthyofauna, its entry into large rivers and lakes are considered by scientists as pollution. It's not always people's fault. The eggs are often carried by migrating birds. A few eggs are enough for all living creatures in the pond to disappear within 4-5 years. Pike, perch and catfish can compete with firebrand fish. The annual damage from the decline in the number of valuable fish species is growing. Experts do not recommend placing a predator in a ratan fish tank; the fish will quickly get rid of competitors.

But for decorative mini ponds there is no best view. Many anglers note that ratan bites well, especially in winter. For bait, you can use any bait: worms, grasshoppers, meat. The taste of the fish is not bad, but the head takes up most of the body, and the belly is often filled with shellfish and snail shells. For this reason, there is little interest in the fish, and most anglers note that the harm from ratan is much greater than the benefits.

Fish Rotan or another name - Firebrand - is a perch-like fish that belongs to the Eliotriidae family. She has a large head and a ridged body that tapers sharply towards the tail. The color of this fish can be light or dark - it all depends on the body of water in which it lives. The back of rotan is always dark, and there are brown spots on the yellowish sides. All fins have stripes and dark spots. During spawning, males become almost black in color, which is probably why rotans are nicknamed firebrands.

Rotan was brought to the European part of Russia by amateur aquarists from reservoirs located in the Amur basin, where it spread widely, especially in low-flow reservoirs.

Rotan is a very voracious fish, it eats not only bloodworms and other aquatic organisms, but also fry fish, even their own, do not disdain tadpoles. Therefore, where rotan is found, there is a problem with fish of other species.

IN summer time he is usually caught by:

• float rod;
• spinning.

On float rod rotan is caught with a large and sharp hook, as it has very strong lips and a bony mouth. Therefore, such a hook is simply necessary. This fish is very greedy and therefore swallows the bait deeply and reliably, and in this case a large hook with a long shank will simplify the process of catching fish.

The main bait for catching rotan is a large worm. You need to put it on the hook in loops so that the tails do not hang down. Fishing at dawn or early in the morning is good using chicken skin cut into strips. It holds well in the water and is visible far away. Rotan is found in all layers of water and how to catch it is a matter of taste for the fisherman.

Catching rotan, video

The second interesting way to catch rotan is spinning. The best bait for this type of fishing is rubber and wobblers.

The rubber should be small, slowly sinking and without unnecessary limbs. The slower the movement of the rubber, the greater the success in catching this firebrand fish.

Wobblers should sink slowly, float up lazily, “zero”. There is also one requirement for them - the wobbler must be painted with very good paint and most importantly, the fisherman should not feel sorry for him at all. The teeth of this predator are small, but there are many of them, and therefore, when catching it, the paint immediately flies off the wobbler. But the catch is worth it, and you can see this in the photo.

Fishing for rotan, photo

How to cook rotan

The meat of the firebrand fish is white and very tasty in any form. You can cook from it:

• cold snacks;
• fish soup or fish soup;
• hot dishes;
• pies.

Several recipes can be given.

Salad. Gut small rotans, and without removing the scales, simmer for 15 minutes in a frying pan. Separate the meat, mash with a fork, add green or onions, green pea and mayonnaise.

Salad with cucumber and eggs . Take 500 grams of fish, pickled cucumber, two boiled eggs, onion. Stew the fish, separate from the skin and bones, cut into pieces, chop the onion, chop the cucumber and eggs, add seasoning. Seasoning: 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, the same amount of mustard, little by little - vinegar, salt and pepper.

Rotan soup. This soup tastes soft and very fragrant, especially if you eat it on the second day. IN cold water put chopped potatoes, carrots, Bay leaf, pepper, celery, parsley. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Place about 15 small fish with heads but without gills in boiling water and boil for twenty minutes. The fish cooks quickly - it has white meat, somewhat similar to sturgeon, only slightly inferior in taste. You can add sour cream and herbs to the plate.

Hot dishes

Fried cutlets. When the catch is large and the fish is small, it is best to make cutlets from it. Pass the washed fish without tails and heads through a meat grinder 2-3 times. Also turn onions and carrots. Add 100 g to the prepared minced meat white bread, one egg, piece butter. Mix everything well, form cutlets, roll in breadcrumbs and fry. Serve mashed potatoes and greens as a side dish.

Firebrand balls . Required:

• large rotan meat – 500 g;
• potatoes – 600 gr;
• egg – 1 pc.;
• vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. spoon;
• salt, pepper to taste;
• flour for breading;
• fat for frying.

Boil the ratan fish, separate from the bones and skin, and mash with a fork. Mix with mashed potatoes, egg and melted butter, season with salt and pepper. Form into balls, roll in flour and fry. Serve the finished balls with sauces - tomato or horseradish.

Fish kulebyaka. Dough: 1 tbsp. wheat flour, 2 eggs, salt to taste. Filling: minced rotan, carrots, onions, a tablespoon of butter, ground black pepper, salt.

Pour the flour onto the table in a heap, make a hole in the middle, pour in eggs, water, salt and stir the dough until it stops sticking to your hands. Leave to lie in the pan for 1 hour to make the dough more tender. For the filling: add finely chopped onion, carrots, salt, pepper to the minced meat and mix everything thoroughly. Roll out the dough into a thin layer, add the filling, pinch the edges. Bake in the oven.