The largest freshwater fish ever caught. What is the largest fish in the world: sea and freshwater. Great white shark

On the territory of the former CIS countries there is a huge number of rivers - in Russia alone there are 78 largest of them. The number of species of freshwater fish living in them is more than 60. We will list only the most significant species.

Distinctive features of freshwater fish

Unlike sea fish, freshwater (river) fish are able to live only in a fresh environment with a low degree of mineralization. Suitable habitats for it are running waters, waters of most types of lakes and even some swamps.

Some river fish are predators, but they pose a danger only to the inhabitants of reservoirs - their diet includes small fish or fry. Freshwater predators include burbot, catfish, pike, perch, grayling, etc. Carp, crucian carp, roach, gobies, carp, gudgeons, bream and many other freshwater animals feed on plant foods.

List of fish - names, descriptions, fishing features

Sturgeon (Acipenser)

In Russia they are found in Pecher and the Ob, Amur and Yenisei basins. The body of this royal fish is elongated and resembles a spindle, and the head is small, with an elongated snout. A distinctive feature is the skeleton, consisting only of cartilage tissue, without vertebrae and the complete absence of scales.

The sturgeon, which always stays close to the bottom, does not bite on the fishing rod. It is allowed to catch the Siberian and Russian species only in paid reservoirs using bottom or float gear or a float rod. Sturgeon prefers steamed millet, corn porridge or dough. It also bites on baits of animal origin: fry or pickled herring.

Perch (Perca fluviatilis)

This predatory fish lives throughout Eurasia and northern Russia - it is found even in the Kolyma region. The size of the perch, the number and color of fins may vary depending on the species. A distinctive feature is the shape and structure dorsal fin, spiny in the front, pinkish pelvic fins, small scales and small stripes throughout the body, which in some species may be subtle.

Although perch hunts during the day, it bites best in the evening or in the early morning hours in cool weather - it does not like heat and hides from it. You can catch it only at depth using maggots, bloodworms, mosquito larvae and traditional dung worms.

Ruff (Gymnocephalus cernuus)

Another fish of the perch family. It is found both in rivers of the Baltic Sea and Trans-Urals and in the north of Russia at depth or near shores with a sandy bottom or gravel. Its food is mainly benthic invertebrates, small animals and plants, but it readily bites on bloodworms, maggots, fish eyes, and dung worms. They catch it with fishing rods with a thin line - up to 0.2 mm in diameter - with a small hook and a small float so that small twitches are more noticeable.

Roach (Rutilus rutilus)

A small schooling fish of the carp family is called chebak in the Urals, and in Baikal, Yenisei, Siberia, the Nenets District, Vologda, Arkhangelsk - sorogo. Subspecies of roach have their own names - for example, roach and ram.

This species differs from the rudd in its larger scales and eye color - they are not blood red, but orange, with a small red spot at the top. The roach's back is dark, with a slight greenish or blue tint. The tail fins are reddish-gray-green, the pectoral fins are yellow, and the ventral fins are red.

Roaches refuse to bite only in the dead of winter and during spawning; during the rest of the year they can be safely caught with a fishing rod. In the summer heat, it is more difficult to catch it; you only need to look for it at depth, but in the fall the bite improves. The best time for fishing is spring, when it approaches the shore in schools. At this time, the roach is fattening up. Active biting occurs both during periods of first ice and during last ice– at this time it lives in the depths or in thickets.

In winter, roaches prefer animal baits; in summer, worms, bread, corn and peas. In spring, she is more timid and picky, and the bait has to be selected experimentally.

Pike family (Esox lucius)

The genus of pike unites 5 species of fish with small scales, a dorsal fin displaced back, a large mouth and an elongated snout. One more characteristic feature is slightly pushed forward lower jaw. The activity of pikes varies depending on the season - at least they bite all year round, more actively searches for food after wintering, in March-April, and from mid-September until the onset of frost. catch her better at night, in the morning a couple of hours before sunrise and in the afternoon before sunset.

In early spring, pike are not particularly careful and attack most baits: spinners, twisters, blanks, uralkas, etc. In April it is better to use noise baits, and in May turntables and wobblers with a bright game. In winter they bite mainly on live bait.

Bream (Abramis brama)

The fish from the carp family, which in southern Russia is called chebak and kilyak, has a characteristic tall body, a small head and a mouth ending in a retractable tube. The back of an adult is gray or brown, and the belly is yellow. Between it and the anus there is a scaleless keel.

Bream stay in groups at depths covered with plants. In winter on the Volga they can go to sea. Experienced fishermen know that a good bait for bream is steamed pearl barley, brand, corn or peas. The standard bait – a dung worm – is also suitable. Bloodworms are very effective in the spring – at this time they simply won’t go for other bait. Although a lot depends on the habitat - perhaps it is better to replace it with dragonfly larvae, caddisfly, clepsin leeches, pieces of lard or cut up toothless.

Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

You can find this freshwater fish in the river basins of the Aral, Black and Caspian seas, the Far East, Kamchatka, Amur and rivers flowing into Pacific Ocean. There is especially a lot of it in the lower reaches. It has a massive head with a short mustache on the upper lip, a thick, slightly elongated body with large scales. The back is slightly darker, and the sides are golden, although their color may vary depending on the habitat. Each of the scales has a darker spot at the base, and along the edges it is outlined by a dark stripe.

Carp are caught using a “running” tackle with a reel and rings. This fish is omnivorous, and due to the lack of a stomach, it feeds without interruption. Both aquatic plants and caviar of frogs and fish, mollusks, insects, worms, leeches, etc. are used. As bait you can use potatoes boiled with a strong-smelling bay leaf and dill, millet, dough, peas and corn, bread, berries. If you have nothing at hand, you can even use the core of a reed. In spring or on clear, fine days, it is better to fish with maggots, worms, wasp and bee larvae, or artificial baits imitating small fish. Active feeding of carp begins from the first days of spring and lasts until the beginning of July. It bites well in August and September. The best time is morning, evening or night.

Carp (Cyprinus)

Carp is a domesticated cultivated subspecies of carp. Thanks to selection, it is distinguished by its large size - larger individuals are found among carp. The head of this species of carp is much smaller. A naked carp may not have scales at all; a mirror carp has them only on the body and near the dorsal fin, but a scaly carp is evenly covered with it, just like a carp.

Carp is the most voracious fish that can grow to enormous sizes. But, if the carp grows only in length, then the carp also increases in width. The gear used for catching carp is also different - it does not need a “running” tackle, but a float rod.

Crucian carp (Carassius)

A common fish of the cyprinid genus. Common (golden) crucian carp is found in the European part of Russia and the CIS countries up to the Lena River basin. In Belarus it is called crucian carp zalaty. Silver crucian carp is found both in Europe and Siberia. Outwardly, both of these species are similar, with the exception of the shade of the scales and the shape of the head - in the golden one it is more rounded, and in the silver it is pointed.

A dung worm, which attracts fish with its rich color, and maggots (they can be used together with a worm) are suitable for fishing at any time of the year. By the way, fishermen often paint fly larvae to make them brighter and more noticeable. In spring and summer, crucian carp becomes more capricious, so it is better to offer it bloodworms, and use it as bait.

Tench (Cyprinidae)

Another fish of the carp family. It differs from crucian carp in having a thicker body, thick skin, small slimy scales, rounded fins and a short tail. At the corners of the small mouth there is a short antennae.

Tench does not like silted reservoirs - the bottom must be hard. If crucian carp comes aground only for spawning, then tench stays near the boundaries of vegetation at depth only during the period of ice melting until May. In summer, it prefers shallows and the thickest grass. Fishermen often even mow it down in order to get to the tench’s habitat.

Strong individuals can easily break telescopic rods - it is better to take a short match rod with a thick line and a short leash. To lift these fish out of the thickets, you need constant movement of the bait so that they notice it. Only after this they cast a fishing rod baited with snails, worms, leeches and insect larvae. Tench are very attracted to red maggots.

Pike-perch (Sander lucioperca)

This large fish with large fang-shaped teeth of the perch family lives in Eastern Europe, the rivers of the Baltic, Azov, Aral, Black and Caspian seas. It is a typical predator and feeds on fish and invertebrates. Since it is sensitive to the oxygen content in water, it lives only in wetlands.

At night it is better to look for it in shallow water or near the surface of the water. During the day it goes deeper under snags and stones. For fishing, bait is used in the form of fish with a narrow body - gobies, bleaks, minnows - these are the species that are their main food.

In this article we will look at the question of what kind of fish there are. It should be clarified right away that the word “fish” in the meaning of “dish” will not be discussed here. Only living fish, that is, a creature living in an aquatic environment, interests us in this case. This is a superclass of aquatic vertebrates, the bulk of which are dominated by gill breathing and do not feed their offspring with milk using special glands.

Division of fish by habitat

These creatures in this vein should be considered according to the main feature - whether they belong to freshwater, brackish water, or whether they require salt water to live. As you can see, the question of what types of fish there are can be answered in detail. In the first case, this is the one that lives exclusively in salty sea or ocean water. There are also breeds that survive well in both fresh and salty environments. This happens because a brackish liquid is considered optimal for them, that is, one in which the ratio of fresh water and salt is approximately 1000:1.

and oceans

If the reader is interested in what kind of fish there are in the seas and oceans, then the answer will be this far from complete list:

Already by the names you can determine how different the ocean species are and Photos of some species will only confirm this fact.

Freshwater fish habitat

When asked what types of fish there are, they answered: “Freshwater”? What is fresh water?

It should be answered right away that water environment, containing practically no salts, can be called fresh. Usually this is considered to be running water, that is, rivers. But many lakes also fall into this category. It is no secret that some freshwater fish are bred artificially for commercial purposes in man-made ponds and ditches. By the way, when looking at photographs of river fish living in natural conditions and comparing them with photographs of those that were born and raised in man-made reservoirs, it is almost impossible to notice the difference.

And, what’s really interesting, even swamps can serve as a habitat for some species of freshwater fish.

River inhabitants

Many of the superclass of aquatic vertebrates that do not feed their offspring with milk (classified as freshwater) live in rivers. The list of them is also quite large. In Russia the most common are the following:

The photos are incredibly beautiful. Fishermen often take pictures of their trophies and are extremely proud of them. Unfortunately, live river fish in natural habitats are poorly represented in photographs.

Who lives in the swamps?

Crucian carp is interesting in this regard. Although it can live quite comfortably in rivers and lakes, ichthyologists still believe that it is extremely difficult to meet it in clean mountain reservoirs. But in low-lying marshy lakes and directly in swamps, he feels just fine.

Many fishermen claim that they often catch carp, carp, gobies, tenches and eels when hooked in overgrown muddy ponds. Catfish are also found here, albeit occasionally.

Separation of fish breeds according to feeding method

All river and sea ​​fish, as well as aquarium decorative ones, are classified based on exactly how they feed. Some of these animals should be classified as predators, since their main diet is smaller fish, often even fry of the same species. Many predators do not disdain shellfish, caviar, and carrion.

Today, there are tragic cases of attacks on humans by the largest bloodthirsty fish - sharks. There are legends among people about how dangerous catfish and large pike are for people. Allegedly, some large individuals of these species can drag a child or a thin woman deep into the reservoir, where they deal with their victims. Or, they say, they mercilessly bite off the limbs of the unfortunate while swimming. However reliable facts this was not recorded.

But the sea “sisters” of river pikes - barracudas - are capable of terrible crimes. They are also matched by the merciless moray eels, about which they say that in ancient times among the Greeks they were widespread aquarium fish, which their owners used as an instrument for executing unwanted people and those guilty of something.

Stories about piranhas, chimeras, tiger fish and giant goopers are also marine fish. Photos of the above killer fish look quite scary. However, it is worth noting that most fish predators pose a danger only to smaller inhabitants of water bodies. These include burbot, catfish, trout, pike, eel, whitefish, asp, bersh, perch, pike perch, and grayling, which live in large numbers in Russian rivers.

The peaceful ones are gobies, loaches, dace, carp, tenches, roaches, fishermen, bluegills, barbels, ides, spikes, bleaks, carp, rotans, gudgeons, bream, crucian carp, silver bream, verkhovka, white-eyes, cupids, chubs, ruffes, rudds, peleds, vendace and some other freshwater fish.

Differences in the method of reproduction

Most living creatures of the vertebrate superclass under consideration are egg-markers. Moreover, there is a division here, because some species use external fertilization. This happens in cases where the female releases unfertilized eggs into the water, and males belonging to the same fish species secrete a white liquid with sperm into the fertile environment - milt.

There are fish that are ovoviviparous. That is, fertilization occurs inside the female’s body. It turns out that a practically formed fry is born. These include some stingrays, sharks, eagles, eelpouts, carp-tooths and some others.

Some aquarium fish, photos of which are presented in the article, are also viviparous. These are, for example, guppies and swordtails.

Reproduction of salmon and sturgeon

Caviar species include salmon and sturgeon (the so-called red fish). A photo of a male salmon before spawning clearly demonstrates how his appearance changes before this important period in his life. The peculiar hump that appears on the back gives the name to one of the salmon species - pink salmon. The jaws of the fish bend in a hook-like manner, their body acquires a bright, even provocative color.

It is interesting that most species of red pink salmon, chum salmon and others) are brackish water. They are born in fresh rivers, then swim across marine environment. To spawn, males and females move against the current back to their places of origin. A very large number of salmon representatives die during this period without reaching their goal: some due to natural factors, and others due to poaching. After spawning, almost all individuals of both sexes die. Although ichthyologists have discovered several exceptions to this rule, that is, they were able to register several females who came to spawn five and even seven times.

The names of some species of this most valuable commercial breed are known to almost everyone. These are stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, thorn, beluga, sterlet and some others.

Aquarium fish

Photos of these vertebrates attract the attention of even those people who are absolutely indifferent to ichthyology and have no desire to have such unique pets. The brightness of the color and the unusualness of their appearance play a major role in this.

However, for those interested underwater world and its inhabitants, aquarium fish can become a real practical guide. By observing them and studying their habits, one can identify all the main gradations of this natural superclass of vertebrates.

Just like all fish, these pets kept in aquariums are divided into freshwater, brackish water and marine.

There are also notorious predators here, attacking other inhabitants not at all out of hunger, but because this is their natural essence. Such examples are piranhas and ornamental sharks. Along with them, there are insectivorous fish, as well as those that prefer worms, bloodworms, algae, etc.

Aquarium fish are divided into spawning and viviparous. The majority, of course, are those that throw caviar and milt into the water.

Briefly about the main thing...

Observing the life of fish, a person draws important conclusions for himself: in nature everything is interconnected, everything is dependent on one another. And a person is one of the links in the chain, for the integrity of which he is responsible.

In this article I would like to analyze the most coveted and significant fish of Siberia, fish of northern rivers, mountain taiga streams with cold water and rocky rifts, lakes. Freshwater ichthyofauna of Siberia, as well as the Urals. Ichthyofauna of the entire taiga belt of Russia. I will not mention the fish that are abundant in the southern zone, and will focus only exclusively on the fish of the taiga, the fish of the north. Noble breeds of fish that are hunted by amateur fishermen in pursuit of a big trophy, tourists traveling through the taiga, and indigenous people of the north, for whom fishing is a way of obtaining food, and not sport, entertainment and the pursuit of a trophy.

Muksun

Valuable commercial fish from the genus whitefish and the salmon family, lives in the rivers of Siberia, in particular in the basins of the Ob, Irtysh, Lena, and Yenisei rivers. It is valued for its taste, as well as its nutritional value and the presence of essential substances. Well consumed lightly salted. It is enough for the muksun to stand in salting for about 9 hours, and only then it can be eaten. The meat is fatty and melts in your mouth. The calorie content of meat is about 90 kcal per 100 g. It is also widely used for preparing stroganina.

Fishing methods: In many regions of the country, fishing for muksun is prohibited, in others it is caught with nets, and muksun can also be caught with a fly, having a varied supply of bait with you.

Nelma

Valuable commercial fish of the whitefish family, reaching a weight of 50 kg. It lives in the rivers of Siberia, in the Arctic Ocean basin. It is considered one of the most delicious fish in Russia, and any fish dish made from it always turns out delicious. Just like muksun, nelma is good lightly salted and as planed meat. Is an endangered species.

Fishing methods: In all southern regions of Siberia, fishing for nelma is prohibited; it is caught industrially by artels in the northern part. Yes, and catching it with a spinning rod in the southern part is quite difficult, which cannot be said about the Ob or Yenisei delta, where nelma likes to live. The fish is very careful and shy. Nelma catches well on various spinners and spoons, most often ordinary ones, silver in color, matching the color of smelt and vendace fry.

Chir

Chir (or Shchokur) is a representative of the whitefish genus. A valuable commercial fish, it lives in both fresh and semi-fresh water at the confluence of large Siberian rivers with the Arctic Ocean. Also available in Kamchatka. Chir serves as a bonus for commercial fishermen when catching nelma and muksun. Also lives in freshwater lakes.

Fishing methods: Just like muksun, whitefish are caught with nets, but, unlike whitefish, they bite quite well on a fishing rod and spinning rod. Various insects, larvae, meat of mollusks living in seashore, and, of course, artificial bait.

Omul

Valuable commercial fish of the whitefish genus. Not large sizes, up to 6-8 kg. Baikal omul lives only in Lake Baikal and nearby rivers, where it spawns. In the river basin of the Arctic Ocean lives arctic omul . It is well used salted, smoked, and also as planed meat.

Fishing methods: omul is caught at any time of the year. Fishing is possible both from the shore and from a boat. Omul takes well on small, bright, stationary and moving baits, including spinning rods. Local residents use pieces of foam rubber, fresh meat or a piece of fish as bait. In the depths of winter, omul descends to depths of over 200 meters, and appropriate gear is needed to catch it.

Pyzhyan

Siberian whitefish lives in rivers of the European north and Siberia. Weight up to 5 kg. Length up to 80 cm. It has good taste and is an object of both amateur and commercial fishing. It has a characteristic transition from the head to the body. Pyzhyan feeds on mollusks, larvae, and various insects.

Fishing methods: Fishing takes place using cast seines and the installation of nets. Amateur fishing takes place using ordinary gear and bait. The best nozzle is a chiromanidae, also caviar, mollusk, fly, bloodworm.

Tugun

A small commercial fish of the whitefish genus. In the Urals it is also known as Sosvinskaya herring . Fish of northern rivers live in the basins of the Ob and its tributaries (in particular, Northern Sovva, Pur, Taz, Nadym, etc.), on the Yenisei, Lena, etc. Length up to 100 cm, weight up to 100 g. The taste of tugun meat gives fresh cucumber, the meat is tender and fatty. Tugun is smoked and consumed salted.

Fishing methods: Tugun is caught using seines; fishing with a rod or spinning rods is ineffective. Fishing most often occurs during the spring flood, when the fish go to fatten; they are also caught in the summer.

Lenok

A genus of fish in the salmon family. Lives in freshwater reservoirs and rivers. Most often in fast, cold mountain rivers, on rapids. It lives in Siberia and the Far East, as well as in China, Mongolia, and Western Korea. It is not found in the European part of Russia, west of the Ural Mountains. Predator, feeds on various insects, mollusks, worms, flies. It has other names: Russian - lenok, Turkic - uskuch, Evenki - maygun, Yakut - byyit and literary - Siberian trout. Is an endangered species.

Fishing methods: There is no commercial fishing; lenok is one of the popular fish for sport and recreational fishing. Fly fishing and spinning gear is used. Young lenok are caught with a fly, similar to grayling, larger specimens are caught with spoons, various spinners, wobblers, etc.

Grayling

A popular fish of northern rivers of the salmon family. It is an object of sport and amateur fishing and is valued for its excellent taste. There are Siberian, European and Mongolian grayling. Reaches a weight of 2.5-3 kg. It feeds on various larvae, mollusks, insects that have fallen into the water: midges, leafhoppers, grasshoppers, gadflies, etc.

Fishing methods: The most popular way to catch grayling is fly fishing. It can also be caught with a spinning rod and a regular fishing rod. Most often, grayling is caught using a fly. There are 4 places where grayling catches well: on riffles, rapids, immediately after the stones, standing facing upstream; near fallen trees; near large stones (standing at depth); on a riffle, to the side of the main stream. If fishing is done with spoons and spinners, then, as a rule, light baits are selected, but large grayling can also be taken with heavy ones.

Taimen

The fish of the salmon family is listed in the Red Book of Russia; in some reservoirs it is grown and fishing is prohibited. It is a coveted trophy for any taiga fisherman. It can reach a weight of 70-85 kg and a length of up to 2 meters. Lives in fresh, cold water and does not go to sea. It lives throughout the taiga belt. The further north his habitat is, the more comfortable he becomes.

Fishing methods: Taimen is a predator and the fishing methods are the same as for other predators. In those rivers where there are many small fish, such as grayling and various types of whitefish, taimen also live. Fishing for taimen most often takes place under a special license or only for trophy photography, after which the fish are released. They are used with various spinners, spinners, wobblers and other spinning gear.

Sterlet

Valuable commercial fish of the sturgeon family. Body length reaches 130 cm, weight - up to 20 kg (in in rare cases). Large specimens live mainly in northern rivers. It feeds on invertebrates and eats the eggs of other fish. It lives in the basins of many Siberian and European rivers in Russia, as well as in the seas. Is an object fishing and spearfishing. Has excellent taste. An endangered species.

Fishing methods: is the target of poaching. Amateur fishermen catch sterlet under license. The most common tackle is a bottom bait with a bait in the form of a worm.

Burbot

Fish of the cod order, the only one that lives only in fresh water bodies. It is found almost throughout the taiga zone, most common in the rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin. As a rule, the weight of burbot does not exceed 1 kg.

Fishing methods: The best periods for catching burbot are winter and early spring. Best tackle- donka, as well as a float rod. As bait you should use live bait, fry, frog, leech. It goes well at night, because at night it comes out of its burrows and lies in wait for prey near snags. It is also effective to place burbot perches at night in winter.

Pike

Not a species, but a whole family of pike. It lives both in Siberia and throughout Russia, almost everywhere. The most popular predator in our waters. The length of the pike reaches 2 meters, and the weight is 35 kg, but in rare cases.

Fishing methods: for live bait, for frog, for tadpole. When using a spinning rod, any bait works well, depending on the reservoir and the situation, be it all kinds of spinners, wobblers that imitate a wounded fry, vibrating tails, etc. This bloodthirsty predator is best caught in the spring, before its spawning, and in the fall - during the feeding season, with late August to mid-October (in the north - until September)

Dace

small fish carp family. The dace lives in clean flowing rivers, both with sandy and pebble bottoms, as well as in lakes. It feeds on small insects, invertebrate plankton, and plant shoots.

Fishing methods: like all carp - a float rod with bait on a hook. Also bottom tackle and fly fishing. Bait: bloodworms, maggots, porridge, bread, worm.

Rainbow trout

Other name Mikizha . Fish of the salmon family. Small in size, length up to 55 cm, weight up to 1.5 kg. Lives in cold water, loves clean mountain rivers and lakes. Predator, feeds on fry of other fish, minnows, verkhovna, insects, etc.

Fishing methods: fly fishing or spinning. Small trout are caught on a fly, like Siberian grayling; larger individuals will bite on spoons and other spinning gear.

Minnow

The minnow is a small representative of the carp family. On the right photo lake minnow , on the left - river . The length of the fish is up to 15 cm, weight - up to 90-100 g. It feeds on mosquito larvae, flies, and small insects. The body is covered with small scales. Minnows are usually used as bait for larger fish, but can be eaten.

Fishing methods: minnows are caught during the day in calm, windless weather; at night the fish do not bite. Worms, bloodworms, and maggots are used as bait. Minnow fishing occurs in early autumn; later it goes into hibernation.

Chukuchan

A small freshwater fish of the whitefish family. Dimensions of Siberian vendace: up to 35 cm in length and weight up to 1 kg. Semi-anadromous fish, i.e. lives both in the salt water of the ocean and in the fresh water of Siberian rivers flowing into the Laptev Sea. Vendace is consumed fresh, salted and smoked. Rich nutrients, as well as Omega-3 fats.

Fishing methods: commercial fish. It is caught mainly with seines, because the effectiveness of conventional fishing rods is low.

Ide

Fish from the carp family. Young animals are called roaches . Lives everywhere in the taiga zone. In Siberia it is found up to Yakutia. Reaches a weight of 3 kg and a length of 55 cm. Lives up to 20 years. Omnivorous fish. Lives in rivers, lakes, ponds. Avoids fast cold water and mountain rivers. Prefers rivers with more stretches of calm water and great depth.

Fishing methods: ides are caught using conventional types of gear. Float rods, donks, spinning rods, with various spinners and spinners. The ide takes well at dusk, because at this time it feeds. The bait is worms, bloodworms, maggots, bread, bran, etc.

Perch

From the perch family. Lives throughout northern Eurasia. Reaches a size of 44.7 cm and a weight of more than 2 kg. Predator, very voracious. It is eaten as a base for fish soup, fried, smoked, and dried. It is an object of sports, amateur and commercial fishing.

Fishing methods: Like all predators, perch takes well to bait of animal origin. For live bait, worm. Takes well with spinning tackle, wobblers (right picture), spinners, vibrotails, and various spinners. It usually lives together with pike, in places with a large number of small fish.

Chebak

Fish of the carp family. Chebak is a subspecies of roach, distributed mainly in the Urals and Siberia. In Siberia, the chebak lives almost everywhere. It is found in large quantities on the Kolyma, Indigirka, Lena, Yenisei and other Siberian rivers. Basically it is a small fish, but reaches a weight of up to 3.5 kg. In many reservoirs, chebak is the simplest and most popular fish. They eat it themselves and feed it to livestock, dogs and cats. Fish soup is made from it, fried, dried and smoked. In my opinion, chebak is especially good in the ear, when boiled.

Fishing methods: Chebak, like all carp fish, is omnivorous. It bites both on bait of animal origin and plant origin. Good for bloodworms, maggots, worms, dough, bread crumbs, corn. Classic chebak fishing occurs with a simple float rod.

Ruff

A species of fish from the perch family. In Siberia it lives everywhere up to the border of the tundra. A small fish, reaching only 30 cm in length and weighing up to 250 g. An unpretentious fish that can adapt to its living conditions. Schooling fish. It lives in both fresh water and slightly brackish waters. Predator, leading night look life.

Fishing methods: It bites best in spring, autumn and early winter - at this time it begins to eat. The time for fishing is morning and evening. In summer it is caught at night, in cool times. It bites on bloodworms, worms, and maggots. Tackle - float rod.

Our planet has been inhabited by many different animals for millions of years. Among them, a special type stands out - fish. They filled rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. These animals play a large role in the natural food chain, as well as in human environment a habitat. Both sea and river fish serve as a source of food, medicine and fertilizer for people. Agriculture, as well as raw materials for light industry. What are these inhabitants of the rivers of our country, how do they survive and what do they eat? This issue deserves due attention, because all living organisms on Earth are necessary parts of nature.

Fishes of Russian rivers

The most common fish that live in Russian rivers are beluga, pike, burbot, catfish, sturgeon, stickleback, crucian carp, salmon, carp, perch, carp, rudd. And this is not a complete list of them. The fastest river fish include salmon, dace, podust, asp and sabrefish, and the most nimble include rudd, bream, roach, bream, tench and crucian carp. These aquatic vertebrates are divided into predatory and peaceful inhabitants. What river fish eat directly depends on this division. The former feed on smaller representatives of this class, while the latter spend most of their time searching for plankton and plant food. Especially in summer, various algae grow rapidly, which provide a haven for crustaceans and mollusks. And this is not just food, but a kind of delicacy for fish. Predators (for example, pike, pike perch, perch), in turn, feed on smaller fish.

The largest representatives of river fish

Nowadays, any river fish whose length is more than 1.80 meters and weighs at least 90 kg is considered a large specimen. The record holders for size are several species of these aquatic vertebrates. One of them is the beluga. Its weight reaches 1400 kg, and its length is about five meters. Beluga and pike keep up with the size. Its largest representatives are found in the northern rivers of Russia.

The European (common) catfish weighs about 350 kg and is up to 4.5 meters long. It lives in almost all large rivers of both Russia and the CIS. The catfish is unusual in that its body consists of a huge head and a huge tail.

The most valuable freshwater fish

River fish Russia has its most valuable specimens. The most expensive of them is the Russian beluga. For example, a female caught weighing 1227 kg yielded 240 kg of very high-quality caviar. Its value today is about two hundred thousand dollars.

The second most expensive is carp. It belongs to the category of especially valuable ones. For example, in the seventies in the Volga River delta, the catch of carp was at least ten thousand tons per year.

Fishes of the rivers of Primorye

Russia has a vast territory, the reservoirs of which are home to many different species of fish. Thus, considering the inhabitants of fresh water bodies of the Primorsky Territory, one can count about one hundred and fifty of their varieties. Some, such as Sakhalin taimen, are even listed in the Red Book. Other river fish of Primorye can boast the most unusual names- for example, snake catcher, guar horse, yellow-cheeked and top gazer. In addition to the fish mentioned above, the local fish include Amur pike, catfish, crucian carp, carp, salmon, lenok, counj and grayling. One of the most unpretentious and widespread fish of the Primorsky Territory is the rudd. And although many locals consider it too bony, its taste is excellent. There are two types of rudd: small-scaled and large-scaled. Typically this fish grows up to half a meter in length and weighs up to one and a half kilograms.

Fishing in the Moscow region

For those who like fishing, the Moscow region has remained a favorite place for many years. have a relaxing holiday. Amazing nature, quiet evenings, clean air and plenty of fish in the reservoirs - everything you need for Russian fishing. Severka, Ruza, Istra, Nerskaya, Protva, Nara, Besputa, Dubna, Sestra and others hide various popular and tasty fish in their waters. This includes perch, and carp, and crucian carp, and roach, and pike, and gudgeon, and bream, and chub, and bream, and asp, and bleak. River fish in the Moscow region are caught using fishing rods, spinning rods, fly fishing rods, boats and bales.

Pike - the queen of Russian rivers

Speaking about the fish that are found in Russia, one cannot fail to mention the heroine of Russian fairy tales - the pike. It lives not only in the reservoirs of our country, but also in the rivers of European countries, as well as Asia and the United States of America. The size of pikes is determined by the food supply: the larger the average size of fish in the river, the larger the pike can grow. It is rightfully considered one of the most predatory freshwater fish. Her appearance fully demonstrates this: a long flattened head with a huge mouth and a large number of sharp teeth looks terrifying. Many river fish have become prey for this agile predator. The color of pikes is mainly gray-green, with speckles. Thanks to their slippery cylindrical body, they move quickly and swiftly. Pike feed mainly on smaller perch and others), but there are often cases of eating individuals of their own species. In addition, the diet of these predators includes amphibians, reptiles, large insects, various garbage, small mammals, and even waterfowl chicks.

Rare and endangered fish

Today, on the territory of Russia, many river fish need human participation and care, the list of which is growing every year. These include Azov beluga, sterlet, Volga herring, Volkhov whitefish, black carp, Baikal white grayling, Baikal sturgeon, common sculpin, Kamchatka salmon and others. All these fish are on the verge of extinction. Take the Volkhov whitefish, which previously, before its construction (1925), played a big role in the fishery and was found in huge quantities in the Volkhov, Syaz, and Svir rivers.

The catch of Baikal sturgeon in the nineteenth century reached three thousand centners, and in the nineties of the twentieth century it decreased to two hundred centners. Today, most often these river fish are found in Lake Baikal and the rivers flowing into it - Angara, Kitoye, Belaya, Selenga, Barguzin and Khamar-Daban. A similar fate befell the Baikal white grayling, which was also previously widespread in these waters.

Another endangered species is black carp. Due to a sharp decrease in the number of this fish in the seventies of the last century, a ban on its fishing was established. Today it is found in and also in Ussuri.

Impact of the environmental situation

Unfortunately, today the environmental situation is affecting many river systems. Quite often there are cases of river pollution by emissions from factories and industrial enterprises, storm water, which contain various hazardous chemical substances. Under such circumstances, river fish, crayfish, turtles and other inhabitants not only change their usual way of life, but also become victims of mutations or disappear altogether. And it’s no secret that insufficient attention from human society can lead to an irreparable environmental disaster.

More than 400 species of freshwater fish have been registered in Russia. Even experienced fishermen sometimes do not know the name of the prey, but the qualifications of the main freshwater fish are determined quite accurately. Each species has distinctive characteristics of behavior, nutrition and reproduction.

The behavior of freshwater individuals differs little from sea ​​creatures. The basic principle of their presence in water is simple: the larger the fish, the deeper the horizon of the reservoir where it spends the main time of its existence.

River fish often migrate in search of food, with temperature changes and atmospheric pressure. The habitats of river fish largely depend on the time of year. In the spring, they usually go to river mouths or to areas overgrown with grass to spawn.

In summer, when the water warms up, many individuals go to open areas of reservoirs with clear water. And with the onset of cold weather, especially in the dead of winter, many freshwater animals go to depths, into pits, where they almost fall into suspended animation and become inactive.

The main feature of river fish: they can be predatory or peaceful. Carnivores feed on their own kind, only smaller in size. Peaceful people prefer plant foods. But this division is conditional.

For example, the ruffe does not eat plant food, but it cannot hunt anyone due to its small size, so its main diet is insects and small larvae.

Types of freshwater fish

Zander

One of the most widespread and active predators of fresh waters in Russia. It lives in reservoirs of Eastern Europe, Asia, in the river basins of the Black, Baltic, Aral, Caspian and Azov seas.

Large river fish, can grow over a meter in length. Weight at this size reaches 15 kg.

Pike perch is a solitary fish, although it belongs to the perch family, whose representatives like to live in schools. At a young age, some individuals gather in small flocks for the sake of successful hunting. Active around the clock and all year round. At night it goes out to the shallows to hunt, and during the day it stays in the pits.

This predator is fast. It can swim for a long time at a speed of up to a meter per second; in case of danger or detection of prey, the jerks accelerate to 2 m/sec.

It feeds on small species of fish, as its throat is relatively narrow. Sometimes it stuns a school of fry by jumping out of the water and hitting it with its tail. Pike perch do not live in dirty water.

It lives on average 15-16 years, but the population is declining today, since the fish is considered a commercial fish due to its taste.

Bersh

The fish is often confused with pike perch due to its external similarity. Plus, schools of young bersha usually feed next to the pike perch, when it stuns the fry with its powerful throws, these fish are often caught together.

Bersh is smaller than pike perch and is not distributed throughout Russia, but in the Volga, Don, Donets and Dnieper. It is never found in lakes; sometimes it settles in large Volga reservoirs.

The main differences between bersh and pike perch:

• scales are clearly visible on the gills, but pike perch do not have them there;
• the size of the bersh is much smaller;
• the muzzle is shorter and wider;
• Pike perch have fewer scales;
• the stripes of the bersh are clearer and more symmetrical;
• the color is more yellowish;
• There is no hump characteristic of pike perch.

The fish stay in schools and at depth. They are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. The bersh lives on average about 8 years, but some individuals in favorable conditions can live up to 12, reaching a height of 60 cm.

Perch

One of the most common fish. It is not only available in Spain. It feels comfortable in fresh rivers and lakes, in brackish water bodies of Kyrgyzstan and the Caspian Sea.

Perch is the most annoying fish for fishermen, especially if it is small. It is classified as a carnivore, but does not disdain any animal protein food, including worms, which it immediately swallows deeply on the hook.

This fish is schooling. Especially before spawning, large flocks gather, and the younger the age of the gathered individuals, the larger the flock.

It hunts small roach and other fish, which fishermen call trash and of little value. Because of this, it is sometimes specially released into reservoirs to destroy such small things.

It actively feeds almost all year, going to the depths only in the deepest winter, and is just as actively caught. Fans of ice fishing say that you can always catch this striped fish, it is so greedy and insatiable.

Despite its mobility and aggressiveness, perch has many enemies. They are not averse to feasting on burbot and pike; even the slow-moving catfish finds the energy to attack a school of striped fish if it is nearby.

Even birds often grab perch from the water when it is hunting at the surface for the next fry. Its coloring on top is clearly visible. Typically, an adult specimen reaches a weight of 800−1200 g. But on large lakes, cases of catching trophy specimens weighing 3 kg or even heavier have been described. Average life expectancy is 10 years.

One of the most numerous inhabitants of reservoirs, repeatedly described in literature and fishing studies. In Russian regions it lives almost everywhere - from the European part to Kolyma.

It is unpretentious and can settle even in heavily polluted waters, which is why it is often found near cities. It prefers rivers with strong currents: the ruffe needs a lot of oxygen in the water. They die out en masse in winter, when the lack of air in small lakes is felt especially strongly.

He does not like warm water. Cold is just right, and in summer he prefers to go to the depths, into pits, where the temperature is lower.

The ruffe feeds all year round, and can even hunt at night. His eyesight is poor, but he detects the movements of prey by vibrations of water and soil. It feeds on small larvae, eggs of other fish, and, if lucky, small fry.

Despite the thorns on the body, both pike and catfish readily eat it. Waterfowl also love to feast on them, so, despite the fact that the ruff is capable of growing up to 12 cm and living for 11 years, most individuals die much earlier: from natural enemies, oxygen starvation and high water temperature.

Chop

This species of perch is common in Transcarpathia, especially in the Danube and its tributaries. Famous French look chop. The fish prefers to settle in rivers with strong currents, with clean water. It stays in the depths, going out to hunt only at dusk, and then it is caught.

However, it is rarely caught using regular or spinning tackle; bottom tackle is more catchy. It feeds on shells, larvae, small fish, and does not disdain alien eggs. As the water gets colder, it loses activity.

For self-defense, it has a spiny front fin and spines on the gills, so catfish and pike do not touch it, but they willingly eat chop eggs and fry. Waterfowl also actively feed on the fry of this fish, so the chop population in last years is greatly reduced.

It has come to the point that in Ukraine this species of perch is listed in the Red Book. Life expectancy is about 12 years.

Pike

The most famous inhabitant of Russian reservoirs, even a character in fairy tales. It is distinguished by its great gluttony; in Canadian lakes there is a species that eats its own smaller relatives.

The average size of the common pike, which is found in countries with temperate climate, - up to 1 m with a weight of 5−8 kg. But sometimes individuals up to 1.8 m long and weighing more than 30 kg are also caught.

It tries to stay at depth only in winter. At this time, it sharply reduces its activity, but does not stop eating. In the warm season, it comes out into small areas, hiding behind snags or in the grass.

From there, from an ambush, she attacks her prey. It's not just small fish. It can easily grab a gaping frog or a small rodent swimming across the river. There are known cases of pike attacking small waterfowl.

She does not like running water, but also hunts in riffles. Spinners know well how fast and sharp its cast is in such places. They claim that, having fallen off the spoon, the pike will never approach this particular tackle again, since it has a good visual memory.

There are legends about long-lived pikes, but the average lifespan is 25-30 years.

The fish whose juveniles suffer the most from the predatory inhabitants of reservoirs. However, this does not mean at all that adult roach is shy, inconspicuous and defenseless. The average length of this inhabitant of almost all fresh water bodies in Europe is 20-25 cm, but fishermen also caught half-meter specimens.

Average weight roach is also not very impressive - a few tens of grams, but the largest caught weighed about 3 kg.

Fish in different areas and among different nationalities have completely different names: somewhere it is called sorozhka, somewhere - ram, in the Far East - chebak, and closer to the south - roach. All varieties have common features:

• the body is noticeably elongated;
• scales large;
• the back is dark, the sides are silver, the fins are red;
• red or yellow eye color;
• pointed mouth.

The roach feeds on plant food, insects and larvae. In summer it can feed exclusively on algae. Lives among vegetation, hiding from numerous predators. The age to which she can live in favorable conditions is about 10 years.

Not only is it delicious fried, salted, or dried. Catching it is an art. It is very important to correctly determine the habitat.

When the water warms up well, even large bream come closer to the shore in search of food. Everything it can find in the mud serves as food: larvae, shells, mollusks, aquatic insects. Having thoroughly satiated itself with animal protein, large bream usually does not finish its meal, but starts eating algae.

Sometimes these fish, usually of medium size, gather in schools and literally comb the bottom of the reservoir in some area. After such a collective “walk” in search of food, the flock leaves a noticeable trace of literally plowed silt at the bottom.

Large bream weighing about 4-5 kg ​​do not gather in schools and live alone in pits. In winter, they even descend to great depths of more than 8 m, where they survive the cold.

Even big bream in the water has its enemies. Predatory fish of the reservoir hunt for its eggs and fry. And the adult individual itself can be attacked by helminths; they are common in bream.

Average age The life of a steep-sided one is about 10 years. By this time, he is able to gain weight up to 6 kg with a body length of 75-80 cm.

The body is flat and high. The scales are large. The back has a slight bluish tint, the sides are silvery. Similar to bream, they are from the same carp family, but smaller in size than the silver bream. The weight of the largest specimens rarely exceeds 800 g.

In most Russian reservoirs with average conditions, a large silver bream weighs 300 g. Trophy specimens are known weighing up to 1.5 kg.

However, these fish differ in other ways:

• in bream the eyes are slightly lowered, in white bream they are noticeably bulging;
• the scales of the silver bream are noticeably larger;
• the bream has a longer anal fin;
• In white bream, the teeth are arranged in 2 rows, in bream - in 1;
• the pectoral fins of the silver bream have a reddish tint; In bream these fins are absolutely always gray.

But their habitats and diet are the same. The maximum age for silver bream is 15 years.

Carp

Another representative of the carp family. The fish is capable of making long migrations throughout the season in search of food. When bad weather occurs, it lies in holes where it likes to live. On the Volga, carp are caught in depressions up to 20-25 m deep, which they rarely leave and feed there.

Sometimes in the same pit carp calmly get along with catfish. They are even caught one after another, but the catfish, as a rule, reacts first to the bait.

The carp is most active in searching for food at night, somewhere around 2-3 hours. Lives in most deep reservoirs of Russia, prefers rivers. It eats plant and animal food, which it searches for in algae or soil.

Leeches, dragonfly or caddisfly larvae, mollusks, crustaceans are its favorite food.

In the early morning or warm evenings, it likes to relax in shallow water or feed near the shore. However, it avoids being close to pike. By fish standards, carp lives a long time: 30-35 years. The largest specimen caught around this age weighed 55 kg.

For fishermen, this is one of the most desirable fish. Its meat is very tasty, and its appearance is impressive. And hunting for trophy specimens on feeder fishing (when a feeder with bait is thrown with one tackle along with a hook and serves as a sinker) is a whole science and great entertainment.

Carp grow quickly and impressively: yearlings reach a length of 20 cm, and adults grow to 1 m or more. In 1997, a carp was caught in Romania that weighed 37 kg. But this is a record. Usually in stores you can buy fish that will weigh from 1 to 5-6 kg.

Lives in stagnant bodies of water quiet current near snags, stones or dense vegetation. Winters in pits. Large individuals prefer solitude, while others gather in flocks to search for food. It eats literally everything: larvae, beetles, insects, and even collects mucus from algae in times of hunger.

Suitable for cultivation in ponds. The Chinese were the first to use it, then it became popular in Europe and America, where it also lives safely in wild bodies of water, mainly lakes.

There are several types of carp: golden, naked. But the meat of mirror carp is considered the most delicious. It lives on average up to 30 years, but there have been specimens that have swum in the water for almost a century.

It is found in almost any body of water, but prefers a muddy bottom. It grows no more than 50 cm in length, with a maximum weight of about 5 kg.

It lives in schools, is omnivorous, eats both algae and larvae; some fishermen even catch it with pieces of reeds during the season.

Able to withstand large temperature changes and low oxygen levels by simply burrowing into the mud. There are several types of crucian carp. The most common are silver and gold. They can exist peacefully in the same body of water.

Feeds actively in the early morning and late evening. In the heat it becomes inert and goes into the depths or into the silt.

The same Chinese were actively involved in breeding crucian carp; they managed to breed goldfish for keeping in aquariums. Lives up to 12 years.

Tench

The fish has a greenish color and is found in the same place as crucian carp and crucian carp. The length rarely exceeds 40 cm, the weight usually reaches 700 g. There is a known case when one English fisherman caught an individual weighing 7 kg, but this fact raises great doubts among ichthyologists.

It feeds on algae and water lilies, so it likes to stand in places with dense vegetation. It can also feast on animal protein foods and fry. Unlike crucian carp, tench is very careful and difficult to catch with a fishing rod.

INTERESTING! IN folk medicine The mucus of this fish is believed to have antiseptic properties. It has been recorded how other fish, having received a wound, try to rub against the tench.

Most fish die from disease and predators before reaching the age of 4 years. But if this milestone can be overcome, the tench will live up to 15 years.

Chub

A fish that prefers a good current and a rocky bottom. The chub does not like silt, mud, whirlpools and backwaters. Small individuals feed near the shore, grabbing insects that have fallen into the water, especially small dragonflies.

They try to catch almost everything that falls into the water near the shore. But if they notice a falling object somewhere in the middle of the river, they will definitely swim away.

Shyness is a distinctive feature of the chub, therefore, when it sees a person on the shore, it usually leaves, but not for long. These fish are also very curious. They will probably come back to see if the fisherman dropped anything in the water, and that’s when they get caught.

Large individuals move closer to the middle of the reservoir, but like to stay near bridge piles or dams. The chub is an active predator, eating not only small fish, but also rodents swimming across the river. There are cases when it attacked waterfowl. Lives 15-16 years.

Lives in almost all reservoirs of Russia and Europe, avoiding only southern regions and Yakutia. Very similar to a roach, but the scales are much smaller, the eyes are pure yellow, without an orange tint. The average length of an adult is about 50 cm and weight is 1 kg. But meter-long specimens weighing more than 5 kg are also caught.

This fish is one of the few freshwater fish that can adapt to sea salt water and live in bays. On rivers it prefers holes and clay bottoms.

Hunts on changes in currents. After rain, it often approaches the shore, looking for insects, larvae and worms washed away by the water. It feeds on them, but adults chase juveniles and small frogs. Lives 15−20 years.

People call it a grip. The asp is extremely active in search of food, which for him is small fish. Moreover, even fry that have not reached 1 cm can grab even smaller fish without any fear.

The height limit is 75-80 cm. Weighing 3-4 kg, the asp behaves so brazenly when hunting that it attacks large roaches, but most often such an attack ends in failure - the asp’s mouth is small. It lives only in clean running waters and ignores standing water. Lives up to 12 years.

Chekhon

The nimble fish is found in many reservoirs in Europe, preferring the Baltic, Azov and Aral Sea, Caspian Sea.

It has a characteristic appearance - an absolutely straight back with a curved belly; for this feature it is also called a saber fish. Almost never found in small and narrow reservoirs; it loves space.

It obtains food (insects, plankton, algae) during the day and rests on the river bottom at night. Size 20-30 cm in length, weight about 200 g. A length of half a meter is considered trophy. It lives up to 10 years, but active growth stops in the first half of life.

Rudd

It is very reminiscent of a roach, and not only in appearance, but also in habits, habitats, and food. These species often interbreed; it is difficult to determine whether they belong to any group.

Rudd is a schooling fish that prefers to live in thickets of vegetation. She eats there too; plant food suits her well. However, in the spring, before spawning and immediately after it, the fish actively gains calories.

The rudd's diet can include not only larvae or bugs, but also small tadpoles. Weight rarely exceeds 2 kg. Life expectancy is 19−20 years. No long-livers have been recorded.

In the 19th century, podust was very common in Russian water bodies. Now it is much less common due to deteriorating environmental conditions and mixing of species.

It usually grows up to 25-30 cm with a weight of 400-500 g. There are also kilogram trophies, but in recent years they have become less and less common. And before, whole flocks of podust accompanied barges with grain, from where it sometimes spilled out and served as food.

Podust lives only in clean water with a moderate current, so any pollution of the reservoir is destructive for it. It feeds on green coating on driftwood and piles, and loves small algae. Life expectancy is up to 15 years.

Bleak

Distributed almost everywhere in Europe. Nimble, gluttonous, constantly on the move. With a length of 20−25 cm, the weight rarely exceeds 50 g.

Its size and mobility are appreciated by fishermen who catch predators with live bait. The bleak feeds on plant and animal food and often jumps out of the water, catching small insects. Lives 7-8 years, but often dies due to attacks by other fish.

One of the smallest Russian fish. The length does not exceed 10 cm, the maximum weight is 15 g. It resembles a bleak, but the head is noticeably wider.

Habits, habitats, even hunting for flying insects - everything is like a bleak. Life expectancy is 5-6 years.

Gudgeon

A common fish, but will never be found in dirty water or where there are industrial wastes. It lives in schools in flowing places with water saturated with oxygen.

Minnows are not caught or bred for commercial purposes. Its meat is tasty, especially when fried, but bony. Individuals of this species rarely grow more than 10-12 cm in length, so there is not much to eat there.

The gudgeon feeds on small midges and larvae. But predatory fish, even small ones, actively feast on it. Because of this, with a biologically possible age of 7-8 years, it rarely lives to 4.

It is found in the Amur and nearby rivers of China and Russia, which flow into the Pacific Ocean.

In the 60s of the last century, the fish was successfully bred in the European part of Russia, and now grass carp is found in the lower reaches of the Don and Volga. The length reaches 120 cm, weight can reach up to 40 kg. Despite its impressive size, it is not a predator and feeds exclusively on plant foods.

Sometimes it even eats shoots of plants hanging over the shore. It is actively bred in fish farms, not only for commercial purposes. Grass carp is also called a water cow due to its ability to simultaneously eat large amounts of bottom grass. That's what they launch it for.

In this way, the bottom of reservoirs where other valuable fish are bred is protected from overgrowing. Lives relatively long: 9-10 years.

Silver carp

The silver carp is considered to be the same orderly for fish ponds. It clears the bottom not only of vegetation, but also of animal remains - rotting larvae and mollusks.

The diet of the fish depends on its variety: silver carp prefers plant foods, while bighead carp (there are also such individuals) feeds on phytoplankton.

It was originally bred in China. But then they began to spread in the rivers of Central Asia and Russia. Theoretically, silver carp can live in any fresh water body, as long as the water does not freeze in winter. With the onset of cold weather it goes into suspended animation.

Adults can reach a weight of up to 50 kg. IN good conditions in warm summer water it can live up to 20 years.

The common catfish lives almost throughout Europe and is found even in the Arctic Ocean basin. This is an active predatory fish that feeds not only on neighboring freshwater fish (even pike), but also on frogs and small rodents that accidentally fall into water bodies.

It usually lives in holes and pools, and goes out to hunt from there. The average length of an adult is 1.5 m, weight up to 5 kg. There are also larger specimens. Catfish up to 4 m long and weighing up to 200 kg were caught. The largest was caught in the Mekong River in Thailand. It weighed almost 30 kg and was about 5 m long.

In the current rivers of Russia, where there are almost no large catfish, the average age of its life is about 30 years, but trophy specimens, which are sometimes caught from the Dnieper or Volga, are centuries old.

Channel catfish

This original species of catfish is found on the American continent. In Europe, including Russia, it is still just taking root in fish farms. The average weight of such an individual is from 1 to 3 kg, and its height can reach half a meter.

But there are sizes that are more substantial. The largest officially recorded channel catfish caught weighed more than 25 kg. Average age is 8 years.

Acne

Freshwater rivers flowing into the seas are home to the river eel. It resembles a snake, but is not one. The length of an adult is up to 2 m. Weight varies from 500 g to 5-6 kg, depending on age.

Loves ponds with sandy or muddy bottoms. It usually hides there, waiting for prey. It can be not only small fish, shellfish or larvae, but even pike.

Upon reaching 8-10 years of age, the eel goes to sea to spawn, lays eggs there and dies.

This fish is also very similar to a snake: it is capable of possessing its habits. Snakeheads often crawl from body of water to body of water on land, and cases have been recorded where this transition lasted about a week. All this time, snakeheads calmly manage without an aquatic environment.

Mature representatives of the species grow up to a meter and weight can reach 10 kg. Initially, on the territory of Russia, snake fish were found only in the Far East, but then they were moved to the European and Asian parts of the country, where they especially took root.

It feeds in the same way as an eel; on land it can grab small rodents. Sometimes bred in aquariums. Life expectancy is 12−15 years.

Burbot

The only representative that lives in fresh water and cannot tolerate salt water. It begins to actively feed only in the fall, with the onset of cold weather. IN summer time it sharply reduces activity, and at water temperatures above 30 degrees it dies altogether.

It feeds on small crustaceans and fish. It is not possible for it to hunt on the open surface; it prefers to look for prey in the water column.

Its habitat is holes, snags. From there it attacks the victim. Sometimes it is confused with catfish, but their seasonal habits are completely different, and burbot does not grow to the large size that catfish can reach.

The maximum length that an adult burbot reaches is 1.2 m, and its weight is about 20 kg. In good conditions, burbots live up to 25 years.

Loach

Freshwater fish. While most of the inhabitants of reservoirs prefer clean running water, the loach fish, on the contrary, considers wetlands and silty places to be their home. It happens that where it lives, not a single fish is found anymore.

But this does not bother the loach much: it can feed on larvae, mollusks and even ants if the reservoir suddenly dries up for a while. Then the loach simply buries itself in the silt and waits for water to appear.

Its dimensions are small. Average specimens do not grow longer than 25-16 cm. But 30-centimeter individuals are also found. Depending on living conditions and nutrition, loaches live in nature from 6 to 8 years.

Char

The fish can easily tolerate low water temperatures, so its habitats are the reservoirs of the following regions:

• the shores of the Kola Peninsula;
• in the Lake Baikal basin;
• in the Pacific Ocean;
• in lakes of Western Siberia.

It has several subspecies, the characteristics of which are similar:

• the length of individuals reaches 25 cm;
• weight - up to 1.5 kg.

Diet: animal protein food. Life expectancy is up to 7 years.

Ichthyologists consider this fish-like animal. It resembles a snake, or rather a large leech. Instead of a mouth, it has a sucker with teeth, with which it bites into the body of the prey fish and feeds on its blood.

The length of an adult is 30 cm. It lives in rivers and lakes in the Danube region. Life expectancy is no more than 2 years.

Ukrainian lamprey

This type of lamprey is slightly smaller - no more than 20 cm. But it is more widespread: in the basins of the Baltic, Black, Caspian and Azov seas. It can be found on the Dniester, Dnieper, in the waters of the Kuban and Don. Lives up to a year. Listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

During times Tsarist Russia The population of sterlet on the Volga was high, but then, with changes in the environmental situation, the number of fish fell sharply. Today, thanks to conservation measures, there are more sterlet in large reservoirs of Russia, including in Siberian rivers.

The size of well-developed individuals can reach 1.5 m with a weight of 15 kg.

The fish is sociable; pairs rarely separate, but spend the winter in groups, huddled together in deep holes. During this period they do not eat, and in the warm season their diet consists of plankton and eggs of other fish. Developed individuals live up to 25 years, sometimes up to 30.

Danube salmon

Initially it lived in the Danube basin, but then it was possible to move it to other rivers in Europe and even Morocco. Adults grow up to 1.75 m, gaining a weight of 60 kg. Such salmon live up to 20 years, preferring a solitary stay in a separate territory.

Brook trout

It lives in Western Europe, from Murmansk to the Mediterranean. Found in the Balkans and Asia Minor. It is caught in the basins of the Baltic, Black, Aral and Azov seas. There are no such trout in the reservoirs of the Far East.

The length of mature specimens reaches 50 cm and weight up to 2 kg. The age limit is 12 years. During this time, trout can gain several times more weight.

This small fish resembles a decorative one. Males, having reached adulthood, grow up to 12 cm. Females are slightly longer - they can stretch up to 15 cm.

It lives in the Dnieper and Dniester basins, in wetlands and estuaries. Difficult to tolerate clean water. It feeds on larvae, worms and other protein animal foods. But many predators also feed on umber, so it often has to hide underwater at the bottom.

It can stay there for a long time due to a special oxygen bubble. Males of this species live up to 3 years, females - up to 5.

European grayling

There are 3 types of grayling in the world: European, Siberian and Mongolian. The European is the most numerous. The size and duration of its life strongly depend on living conditions.

In difficult conditions, grayling reaches only 1 kg by the age of 7, in average conditions - 3.5 kg, in favorable conditions - 5-6 kg. Individuals can grow up to 50 cm in length.

Carp

Listed in the Red Book of Russia. Lives in the basins of the Azov and Black Seas. Sometimes observed in Terek and in the lower part of the Don. The bar-shaped body reaches 75 cm in length. The average age is up to 12 years. It has great culinary value due to the special taste of the meat.

Other types of freshwater fish

Other inhabitants of reservoirs are also valuable.

• Baikal sturgeon;
• lenok;
• common taimen;
• omul;
• Palia.

Ponds:

• minnow;
• Rainbow trout.

Mountain rivers:

• variegated;
• mountain trout;
• Siberian grayling.

Among the fish there are record holders in size, weight and behavioral characteristics.

The largest freshwaters include:

• Shilbo catfish: with a growth of up to 3 m, it is capable of growing up to 200 kg or more;
• Mississippi shellfish: with the same height reaches 130 kg;
• giant freshwater stingray: weighs up to 600 kg;
• Chinese paddlefish: weight can reach 300 kg.

In 2005, a giant catfish was caught in the Mekong. Its length reached 2.7 m, weight - 273 kg. This is the largest fish caught by man.

According to many famous chefs, the three most delicious river fish are sterlet, salmon and trout. Some people prefer carp.

The basis of food for river and lake fish is vegetation, insects, larvae, beetles, crustaceans and mollusks. Many fish eat the eggs of other specimens.

Predatory individuals feed on the fry of other inhabitants of the reservoir and smaller fish.

Predatory river fish include:

• pike;
• burbot.

You can also add perch here, but it does not hunt all fish, only small and sedentary ones.

The freshwater world is no less diverse than the marine world. But man, through his production activities, often pollutes fresh water bodies, destroying their inhabitants. You should always remember this. What kind of fish do you like to eat? Share interesting stories that happened while fishing in the comments.