17.06.2019

River fish rotan. Rotan is a small and dangerous predator. Habitats of rotan

On the territory of our country, rotan appeared about 10 years ago. It was brought to us from the countries of the Far East. The basis of the nutrition of this fish is the caviar of other aquatic inhabitants. Its features are:

body covered with dense scales;
spots and stripes irregular shape;
large head;
a large mouth, which is studded with a large number of small teeth.

The color of the fish depends on the habitat and varies from bright black to green, but there are specimens of gray and brown flowers. The maximum length of rotan in adulthood is 30 cm, usually individuals of about 14 cm are caught on the hook. The average life expectancy of this fish is up to 5 years, but sometimes among them there are centenarians who have lived 7.

Where does rotan live?

The original habitat of this fish was the Amur River, it was also possible to meet rotan in China and North Korea, then this fish got into many reservoirs of Eurasia in an unknown way. Most of the assumptions about its spread lead to the main idea that a person contributed to this.

Rotan lives in freshwater reservoirs, easily tolerates:

any climatic conditions;
various environmental factors;
human impact;
high and low temperatures;
water pollution and other negative factors.

Today, rotan can be found in the nets of many anglers. It is found in the rivers: Ob, Irtysh, Volga, Don, Dnieper, Ural, Dniester, Danube, as well as in reservoirs with stagnant water.

Description and lifestyle

Experimental methods have confirmed that rotan, being frozen, falls into anabiosis, and after thawing continues to live on.

Being a predator, it feeds mainly on:

Little fish.
Small spineless.
crustaceans.
Caviar of fish and frogs.
Tadpoles and leeches.

This fish breeds rapidly, and in the absence of predators, rotan exterminates other species of fish in the reservoir. In the absence of population regulation, only this species may remain in the reservoir, since others will completely disappear. Rotan is not a commercial fish, as it is considered a weed fish.

In some reservoirs, its population is regulated by other predatory species, such as pike and perch.

Catching rotan

Among lovers fishing rotan won a place of honor. Its popularity is based on the following factors:

ease of capture;
confident bite, few gatherings;
fishing everywhere and all year round;
tender and tasty meat;
no need to use special devices for capture;
regularly caught large specimens up to 0.5 kg.

Gear for rotan

Any tackle is suitable for catching rotan:

Many anglers prefer to catch rotan with a regular float rod. In a few hours, your cage can be packed to capacity. Various animal and vegetable baits are used as bait, since rotan is not particularly picky about food.

How to catch more fish?

I have been active fishing for quite some time and have found many ways to improve the bite. And here are the most effective ones:

Cool activator. Attracts fish in cold and warm water with the help of pheromones included in the composition and stimulates her appetite. It is a pity that Rosprirodnadzor wants to ban its sale.
More sensitive gear. Reviews and instructions for other types of gear you can find on the pages of my site.
Lures using pheromones.

You can get the rest of the secrets of successful fishing for free by reading our other articles on the site.

Basically, to catch him, they use:

Worm.
Small live.
Maggot.
Porridge.
Pieces of fish.

Since this fish is not particularly large, the fishing line can be used with a small section from 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. Hooks are also selected in small sizes 4-5 number.

On the donka and feeder come across more often large specimens. When glittering on spinning, you can use:

small vibrotails;
small spinners;
small, no more than five centimeters long.

Very often, in the absence of a sufficient amount of bait, meat (pieces of fish) is used. You can cut the rotan itself and catch its brethren.

Another effective way of fishing is to use a summer fishing rod on a side nod. To do this, it is necessary to equip the telescopic rod with a side nod, and use an ordinary mormyshka as a hook.

Taste and nutritional value

You can cook rotan in various ways:

Cook.
Fry.
Bake.
Extinguish.

Its meat is white, dense, has a pleasant taste, is well suited for cooking fish soups, hot dishes, in pastries, and it is also served as a cold snack.

Many anglers often salt the fish, dry it and smoke it.

The calorie content of rotan dishes is very low, 100 g contains less than 88 kcal.

The nutritional value:

Water - 70g.
Vitamins pp - 2.9 mg.
Trace elements:
- chlorine - 165 mg;
- sulfur - 175 mg.
Macronutrients:
- nickel - 6 mcg .;
- molybdenum - mcg .;
- fluorine - 430 mcg.;
- chromium - 55 mcg.;
- zinc - 0.7 mg.

Application in cooking

Due to the excessive presence of bones, it is often allowed on fish cakes and pies. After gutting and separating the skin, unnecessary elements are passed through a meat grinder, seasoned with various spices, zucchini pulp rubbed through a grater is added for tenderness. Then cutlets are formed or used as a filling for pies.

Sometimes, for greater fat content, peeled rotan carcasses are passed through a meat grinder along with lard.

Also consider the following:

As a conclusion, I want to note that rotan, even being a weedy fish, pleases many as an object of amateur fishing. Being outwardly unattractive, rotan pleases with its taste properties.

There are 3 types of rotan in total, but only one is common in Russia - grass or firebrand, aquarists call it the Amur goby. Rattan should not be confused with rattan - this is different types fish. Rotan - the only representative of the genus of firebrands, belongs to the species of ray-finned. Despite its modest size, it is an active predator that can pose threats to fisheries as it feeds on fry of valuable fish. However, many fishermen use it as bait for large predators, rotan is no less popular in cooking.

Appearance

This is a small nondescript fish up to 14-25 cm long, weight does not exceed 500 grams - the size depends on the amount of food and habitat. Firebrands 40 cm long and weighing 800 grams are considered record-breaking. Instances maximum dimensions are extremely rare, although rotan lives up to 15 years. The average life expectancy is 7-10 years, rotan reaches sexual maturity by 2 years.

It has a dense short body, a large head and a large mouth, several rows of sharp teeth. The gill covers have a soft spine directed backwards, while the fins are soft, without spines at all. Because of the fins, rotan is very similar to a representative of goby fish. The main difference is the ventral fins - they are paired, located close to the head and rather small.

The scales are dull, medium in size. The color of the fish varies, but mainly gray-green and dirty brown tones predominate, the belly is gray, there are spots and stripes. IN mating season the fish turns black.

Lifestyle

Despite its small size, the Amur goby is a predator, moreover, active and quite dangerous. This is due to its fertility and ability to destroy all other species in a single reservoir. The firebrand lives mainly in stagnant waters, in which there are no conditions for other predators. If natural enemies(salmon, eel, perch, pike, zander) are present, the number of rotan is usually small, and the size is small - up to 200 grams.

Depending on the age, the Amur goby eats:

In "infancy" zooplankton;
At an older age, the diet is "diluted" with benthos (microorganisms that live on the bottom) and small invertebrates;
Adult fish prefer tadpoles and eggs of other species, leeches, newts, even small fish. They do not disdain cannibalism either - they devour smaller rotans.

Spawning occurs in late spring-mid-summer. Sexually mature (two-year-old) Amur gobies begin to breed: females lay up to a thousand eggs, which are then guarded by males.

habitats

The ideal habitat for rotan are stagnant ponds with well-developed vegetation. They lay eggs on plants and objects. However, the fish survives well even harsh conditions: polluted water, drying up of the reservoir, etc. They can even survive freezing water: glycine and glucose inside the body bind free water by increasing the salt concentration. This lowers the crystallization temperature, allowing rotan to survive the cold season. However, completely frozen fish will not come to life.

Today, rotan fish, the origin of which Far East Russia, northeast China and north North Korea, as well as the Amur River and its tributaries, spread throughout almost the entire center of Russia. It is found in the rivers Ob, Dniester, Volga, Don, Dnieper, Ural, Irtysh and Styr, mainly in stagnant water bodies where there are no predators that can restrain population growth. In the twentieth century, fish got into Lake Baikal - many scientists regard this as biological pollution.

Spread between water bodies occurs during floods or with human participation. Since the Amur goby is an excellent bait for predators, it is easy to catch and tolerates transportation well, it is regularly caught and transported to other water bodies, where it remains and begins to breed. However, such distribution causes damage primarily to fishing and predatory fish, as the firebrand devours fry of more valuable fish.

Fishing

A large firebrand is often an object of fishing: it can be eaten and used as bait. You can catch rattan on:

earthworm;
Maggots and bloodworms;
Raw meat or lard, chicken skin;
Mormyshka and small spinners. Sometimes it is enough to attach red threads to the hook.

The main rule for catching rotan is to regularly (every 30-40 minutes) change the bait, which loses its attractiveness. It is best to catch firebrands in spring and summer - in autumn, rotan begins to hide, and in winter it usually flocks and goes to the bottom.

When caught, the firebrand usually captures the prey deeply, which is why it cannot break free. For successful fishing, a fishing rod with a hook and a meter of line is enough - rotan is picky. Due to its survivability, one rotan can be used as bait all day long.

Rotan in cooking

Despite the unattractive appearance and use as bait, the Amur goby is edible. It can be boiled, stewed, fried and salted, soups, casseroles and even scrambled eggs and salads can be prepared. With proper preparation, it acquires an exquisite taste: for example, a fried firebrand is “sweeter” than similarly cooked crucian carp. The pinkish-white meat of the fish is dense and tender, has few large bones that are easily removed or stewed until softened.

A popular dish is rotan cutlets. To prepare them you will need:

500 g of rattan;
1-2 potatoes;
1-2 onions;
2 eggs;
flour or breadcrumbs;
1-2 tablespoons of butter;
100 g of lard;
Salt, pepper, garlic and other spices.

The recipe is the following:

The fish is ground through a meat grinder, oil, lard, spices, potatoes and onions are added to the minced meat;
Then eggs are beaten, mixed with flour or breadcrumbs and also added to minced fish;
Flour or crackers are mixed in until the consistency of the minced meat becomes dense enough to form cutlets;
After that, cutlets themselves are molded and fried in a pan on both sides.

"Composition" of fish per 100 grams:

Calorie content - 88 kcal;
Proteins - 17.5 g. Protein is easily digestible and is great for dietary nutrition;
Fats - 2 g;
Carbohydrates - 0 g;
Water - 70 g;
Vitamins: A, E, PP and D;
Trace elements: magnesium, manganese, iron, bromine, copper, potassium, sulfur, zinc, molybdenum.

decorative fish

Rotan can also be used as a home aquarium fish. They are unpretentious and well suited for beginner aquarists. "Domestic" fish have a richer color than the "wild" relatives, and usually smaller - up to 8 cm in length. Both dry granules and live bloodworms and tubules are suitable as feed.

They are less demanding on oxygen (easily tolerate its reduced content in water), and also feel good even in small cold aquariums. For example, 10 liters is enough for 2 individuals. The only condition of keeping is that there should be plants and decorations inside the aquarium, for example, a wicker snag, so that the Amur goby can hide in them.

Keeping firebrands with other fish is not recommended. Being predators, they can devour all the "neighbors", while there were cases when rotans attacked fish as tall as themselves. Sometimes firebrands needed 1-2 days to completely destroy the families of guppies or neon.

Rotan or firebrand is a small predatory fish that lives in stagnant water bodies. It is an object of fishing, used as bait for predators, as food or an aquarium pet. Despite its small size, it is quite dangerous for the ecology of a single reservoir, as it can completely destroy all the inhabitants.

It is called a toad, a firebrand, a live-eater, an Amur goby and a grass. In fact, we are talking about a fish from the golovyoshkovy family called rotan. What kind of fish it is, where it is found and how it looks, whether it can be eaten and what cooking recipes exist - all this is really very interesting.

The firebrand-rotan is the only representative of ray-finned fish of the firebrand genus. It is believed that this fish was originally found in the Amur River basin in the Far East. It is well known to the fishermen of North Korea and China. Today it can be caught in such rivers as:

Volga;
Danube;
Irtysh;
Dnieper;
Ural;
Dniester and others.

The grass or firebrand feels great in shallow ponds and lakes with stagnant water, where other predatory fish do not survive. It spreads during periods of high water, along with birds and with the help of humans.

In large reservoirs, this predator has enemies. Mostly salmon. In conditions natural selection its numbers are small, and the largest rotan rarely reaches a weight of more than 200 grams. Especially a lot of fry are eaten by perch - they simply do not have time to grow.

Some believe that rotan is a weed fish. Not at all. This small fish is an active and ferocious predator. Getting into the ponds of fish farms, it causes great harm, eating fry especially valuable breeds, and its presence in the basin of the purest Lake Baikal is considered a real biological pollution.

Description and habits

Rotan has a short and dense body. The scales are dull, medium in size. Its color is changeable - from gray-green to dirty brown tones. Small irregularly shaped spots and stripes are clearly visible, the abdomen is grayish. When the mating season begins, the scales become black.

The head of the fish is large, the mouth is large, and, like many predatory fish, it is studded with sharp teeth. They are small and arranged in several rows, like a piranha. There is a gill spine, like perciformes, but it is soft. The fins do not have spikes. There are two of them on the back - one is longer than the other. The largest - pectoral fins they are soft and rounded. The tail also has a rounded shape. The appearance of rotan resembles gobies, which is why it is called the Amur goby.

At good conditions habitat, the largest rotan reaches a length of 25 cm. If the conditions are less suitable, then the growth does not exceed 14-20 cm. There are also champions whose maximum weight is 500 grams.

Sexual maturity occurs at about two years of age. For spawning, the firebrand leaves in May-July. Each female lays about a thousand eggs. She clings to plants and various objects that have fallen into the water. This is where her mission ends, the clutch is vigilantly guarded by the male.

A good survival rate of rotan was noted. It tolerates partial drying up of reservoirs, water pollution and freezing to the very bottom.

The menu of this predator includes:

Sometimes he does not disdain carrion. Cannibalism is widespread among golovyoshkovyh. They are happy to eat their own caviar and fry.

In a small reservoir, where there are no other, no less ferocious, predators, rotan fish can destroy all other species in a short time, therefore it is considered dangerous. IN major rivers and lakes its numbers are controlled by pike, minnow, catfish and perch.

Amateur fishermen are only interested in large specimens. The firebrand has almost no small bones, it is edible and quite tasty. No special gear is needed when catching rotan. Any rod will do. The bait is practically irrelevant. The fish bites on a worm, pieces of meat or bacon, on bread, bloodworms, mormyshka and baubles. The bait is swallowed greedily and deeply. The main difficulty is take the hook out of the mouth.

Small rotan itself is used as bait when catching larger predators such as pike perch, catfish, pike and perch. Its survivability allows you to repeatedly cast such a bait. “In reserve” the firebrand is kept at home in an ordinary bucket or jar.

Dense and at the same time tender white-pink rotan meat is a real delicacy. It can be used to make many variety of dishes- from the most ordinary frying and smoking to gourmet fish with bage sauce.

The fish is cleaned as usual - the insides are taken out, if desired, the fins and gills are removed. Many do not spend time on the gills, but simply throw the head away while eating.

The flour is mixed with salt and pepper, you can add any spices to taste. Each fish is rolled in salted flour and fried over high heat until golden brown.

Crushed garlic, a little salt and water are added to sour cream. The finished fish is poured with this mixture and put on fire. Cover the pan with a lid. After boiling, keep on fire for 1-2 minutes. Served hot and cold.

Such an ear can be cooked from rotan and perch. It is cooked both on the fire and on the stove.. If a lot of small fish fell into the bait, but you don’t want to mess with it, then you can cook a rich soup with a minimum of effort.

Fish for broth is not cleaned of scales. It is thoroughly washed, the gills and entrails are taken out. A portion of the fish is tied in gauze and dipped in boiling water. As soon as the eyes of the firebrand turn white, it is taken out and a new portion is laid. There may be several such "bookmarks".

Potatoes and spices are added to the finished broth: roots, peppers, seasonings. When the potatoes are cooked, lower a few completely peeled big fish, herbs and crushed garlic. After a couple of minutes, the ear is ready. When cooled, it acquires a jelly-like consistency. Especially tasty on the fire!

The small head is washed and cleaned. Heads and large bones are removed, and everything else is twisted into minced meat with the addition of onions, a piece of fresh lard, garlic, salt and ground black pepper. Separately, a piece of bread or a loaf is soaked in milk. Thoroughly knead the minced meat, adding softened bread and an egg to it. He must stand a little. If excess liquid appears, it is drained.

Cutlets are formed, rolled in breadcrumbs or flour and fried on vegetable oil until golden brown. Served with any side dish.

There are many dishes that can be prepared from rotan. The fish is really delicious. The main thing is that it should be in sufficient quantity. To paraphrase famous saying- what is death for the fry, then the fisherman is joy ...

sudak.guru

Appearance

This is a small nondescript fish up to 14-25 cm long, weight does not exceed 500 grams - the size depends on the amount of food and habitat. Firebrands 40 cm long and weighing 800 grams are considered record-breaking. Instances of maximum size are extremely rare, although rotan lives up to 15 years. The average life expectancy is 7-10 years, rotan reaches sexual maturity by 2 years.

The scales are dull, medium in size. The color of the fish varies, but mainly gray-green and dirty brown tones predominate, the belly is gray, there are spots and stripes. During the mating season, the fish turns black.

Lifestyle

Despite its small size, the Amur goby is a predator, moreover, active and quite dangerous. This is due to its fertility and ability to destroy all other species in a single reservoir. The firebrand lives mainly in stagnant waters, in which there are no conditions for other predators. If natural enemies (salmon, eel, perch, pike, zander) are present, then the number of rotan is usually small, and the size is small - up to 200 grams.

Depending on the age, the Amur goby eats:

In "infancy" zooplankton;
At an older age, the diet is "diluted" with benthos (microorganisms that live on the bottom) and small invertebrates;
Adult fish prefer tadpoles and eggs of other species, leeches, newts, even small fish. They do not disdain cannibalism either - they devour smaller rotans.

habitats

The ideal habitat for rotan are stagnant ponds with well-developed vegetation. They lay eggs on plants and objects. However, the fish survives well even harsh conditions: polluted water, drying up of the reservoir, etc. They can even survive freezing water: glycine and glucose inside the body bind free water, increasing the salt concentration. This lowers the crystallization temperature, allowing rotan to survive the cold season. However, completely frozen fish will not come to life.

Today, the rotan fish, whose origin is the Far East of Russia, the northeast of China and the north of North Korea, as well as the Amur River and its tributaries, has spread throughout almost the entire center of Russia. It is found in the rivers Ob, Dniester, Volga, Don, Dnieper, Ural, Irtysh and Styr, mainly in stagnant water bodies where there are no predators that can restrain population growth. In the twentieth century, fish got into Lake Baikal - many scientists regard this as biological pollution.

Fishing

A large firebrand is often an object of fishing: it can be eaten and used as bait. You can catch rattan on:

earthworm;
Maggots and bloodworms;
Raw meat or lard, chicken skin;
Mormyshka and small spinners. Sometimes it is enough to attach red threads to the hook.

Rotan in cooking

Despite the unattractive appearance and use as bait, the Amur goby is suitable for food. It can be boiled, stewed, fried and salted, soups, casseroles and even scrambled eggs and salads can be prepared. With proper preparation, it acquires an exquisite taste: for example, a fried firebrand is “sweeter” than similarly cooked crucian carp. The pinkish-white meat of the fish is dense and tender, has few large bones that are easily removed or stewed until softened.

A popular dish is rotan cutlets. To prepare them you will need:

500 g of rattan;
1-2 potatoes;
1-2 onions;
2 eggs;
flour or breadcrumbs;
1-2 tablespoons of butter;
100 g of lard;
Salt, pepper, garlic and other spices.

The recipe is the following:

The fish is ground through a meat grinder, oil, lard, spices, potatoes and onions are added to the minced meat;
Then eggs are beaten, mixed with flour or breadcrumbs and also added to minced fish;
Flour or crackers are mixed in until the consistency of the minced meat becomes dense enough to form cutlets;
After that, cutlets themselves are molded and fried in a pan on both sides.

"Composition" of fish per 100 grams:

Calorie content - 88 kcal;
Proteins - 17.5 g. Protein is easily digestible and is great for dietary nutrition;
Fats - 2 g;
Carbohydrates - 0 g;
Water - 70 g;
Vitamins: A, E, PP and D;
Trace elements: magnesium, manganese, iron, bromine, copper, potassium, sulfur, zinc, molybdenum.

decorative fish

ohota.guru

Description of the fish

Rotan, or, as it is also called, firebrand rotan, grass, just firebrand, is a representative of the species of Ray-finned fish of the Goloveshkov family, the only member of the Goloveshki genus.

This unpretentious fish came to European part continent from the Amur. Due to its nature, it quickly took root in freshwater stagnant reservoirs.

Outwardly, it resembles the shape of a bull. A characteristic difference is the presence of two small ventral fins, which are located near the head.

The teardrop-shaped body is covered with medium-sized scales. This fish does not have a permanent color. The color of the firebrand can be both gray-green and gray-brown, with chaotic spots and stripes. During the mating season, it becomes black, the abdomen usually remains gray.

Rotan is a predator. Like all representatives of this type of fish, it has sharp small teeth in several rows. Like the perciformes, the gill covers of the grass grass have a backward-pointing spike. Fins are soft.

Often, representatives of this species do not grow large, the largest individuals reach 25 cm in length. Life expectancy does not exceed 7 years, on average it is 4-5 years.

This fish lives in fresh water. The unpretentiousness of the firebrand allows her to live practically in a puddle. It easily survives both the complete freezing of the reservoir, and partial drying.

This predator eats small fish, leeches, newts, larvae of amphibians. During periods of food shortage, rotans can eat smaller individuals of their own species.

Rotan fish (video)

Rotan in a pond - trouble or blessing

Initially, it was believed that the appearance of grass in a reservoir leads to the complete extermination of fish of another species. The ability of this predator to survive in any conditions and omnivorous nature allow it to live almost everywhere. Only pike, perch and catfish can compete with rotan. But under certain conditions, he eats their fry.

The appearance of this fish in the reservoir leads to a significant decrease in the number of other species, such as crucian carp and carp. But over time, fishermen began to notice that individuals of seemingly missing fish fall for the bait, while their size is surprising. All this directly depends on the rotan. Eating carp and crucian fry, the predator thins out the lakes, allowing the surviving individuals to reach large sizes.

Rotan is a predator

Many experts say that rotan has made a huge contribution to the conservation of species. freshwater fish, thinning out the livestock and stimulating individuals to grow. At the same time, he himself, on a good fodder base, reached large sizes.

No matter how opinions differ, the benefits of grass for the ecosystem are obvious.

Catching rotan

Fishermen note that fishing in places where the firebrand lives brings only pleasure. If you need to catch a lot of fish and in a short time - rotan is exactly what you need.

The fish bites on everything from a worm to a piece of bread. She is absolutely not shy and not picky. The only problem may be the size of the prey. The largest rotan that can be caught with a bait may not exceed a mass of 200 g. Rarely come across large individuals, especially if another predator lives in the reservoir. But if long-term and sport fishing is planned, look for another place.

You can even catch rotan with spinning baits. It is best to choose rubber for this purpose: silicone worms or bloodworms. The use of the so-called edible rubber increases the effectiveness, since the herb relies on taste buds when searching for food.

Unlike other fish, the firebrand can be caught at any depth, even in places where the proximity of the bottom is visible. You may not see it, but when casting a fishing rod, you should pay attention to the fact that a light shadow gives out prey.

Catching rotan (video)

Culinary characteristics

You can cook rotan as you like: fry, boil, stew, dry. Delicate taste meat, the almost complete absence of bones provides housewives with a huge selection of recipes and additional ingredients.

Before you cook the fish, you need to clean it. This will not cause any problems, since the scales lag behind the skin easily, and the giblets can be quickly removed through an incision in the abdomen parallel to the head. After thoroughly washing the carcass, you can start cooking.

Pretty tasty fried rotan. It needs to be cleaned, salted, generously rolled in flour and fried in hot sunflower oil until light brown.

There are excellent recipes for soups and fish soup from rotan. When cooked, the meat will turn out white, somewhat reminiscent of sturgeon. Potatoes, carrots, onions, greens are added to the ear. You can flavor the broth with sunflower oil and sour cream.

In order not to bother with the bones, you can cook stew from the firebrand. To do this, washed and decapitated carcasses are placed in a container. Layers of fish alternate with onions and carrots, flavored tomato paste, add a little water and simmer for about 5 hours under a lid. Cooking in this way ensures that the bones in the fish soften and can be eaten without risk to health.

fisherhook.ru

Rotan in Europe: an ecological disaster or a useful species in the fish industry?

There is no commercial fishing for firebrands. But, in private, the hero of the article is caught. Rotan bites exclusively on meat. The bite is great too. The peculiarity of rotan bite is that even with a slight fluctuation of the float, the fish can sit firmly on the hook. Light twitches of the fishing line animate the worm and provoke the rotan to bite.

In 1916, rotan was released into the reservoirs of St. Petersburg. Subsequently, it spread throughout Northern Eurasia, in most of Russia and many European countries. However, there are a lot of alternative names: sandpiper, rooster, greenfinch, goby, grass, farrier.

If there is silt in the reservoir, the released rotan will survive. Burrowing into the viscous bottom, the fish successfully exists in almost completely freezing rivers and ponds. The hero of the article also survives in reservoirs that dry up during periods of summer heat. Saves all the same sludge. Burrowing into it, the fish finds the necessary amount of moisture and oxygen. In freezing reservoirs, the predator winters perfectly in ice. In waters with a poor food content, these fish practice cannibalism, eating their smaller relatives. Having swallowed large prey, the firebrand lies on the bottom for several days to digest food. Most often they wait for their prey in ambush. The main type of rotan hunting is an attack on an unsuspecting victim from a hiding place.

Catching in the evening dawn or early in the morning is good for chicken skin, cut into strips. She keeps well in the water and is far visible. Rotan is found in all layers of water and how to catch it is a matter of taste for the angler. The main tackle for catching rotan, of course, is the usual float rod. The bait for this type of fishing is best served by "rubber" and wobblers.

www.membeduet.ru

What is rotan: description and range

Thanks to active bites, good palatability and moderate fat content, this species of predatory fish is a popular object of sport and amateur fishing. Resistance to sudden changes in temperature, oxygen starvation, polluted and stagnant water made the firebrand a frequent inhabitant of many lakes, rivers, ponds and reservoirs in most regions of Russia. Rotan massively lives in Lake Baikal, the basins of the Volga, Ural, Don, Irtysh, Kama, reservoirs of the Moscow and Leningrad regions.

Now the domestic range of rotan with some uninhabited areas stretched from the Russian-Chinese border (Ussuri, Urgun, Amur) to the Kaliningrad region, Neman, Narva and Lake Peipsi.

The firebrand is quite easy to distinguish from other representatives of the ichthyofauna by its characteristic appearance:

large head (1/3 body length);
second dorsal more than the first;
rounded body with a refined caudal peduncle;
dense scales of medium size, covered with mucus;
giant mouth with elongated lower jaw and several rows of small sharp teeth, which are periodically updated;
low position of the eyes;
grayish belly;
main color in ash-green and brown-brown tones;
lighter stripes and spots are randomly scattered on the sides.

Due to the similarity of the exterior, it is important to know the difference between a rotan and a bull. You need to pay attention to the pelvic fins - the firebrand has two of them, they are quite small and have round shape. In representatives of gobies, this paired swimming organ has grown together and has become like a large sucker.

Rotan is characterized by medium-sized size and leads a daytime flocking lifestyle, adhering to the bottom and natural shelters (stones, vegetation, snags). In catches, a fish weighing 200-300 g is standardly caught. Record specimens of 400-500 g aged 5-6 years peck much less often. At the same time, the maximum mass of rotan reaches 750-800 g with a body length of 25-30 cm. Only individuals who have lived their entire lives (7-8 years) in comfortable and well-fed conditions can boast of such dimensions.

Rotan is an active, aggressive and constantly hungry predator, which is able to significantly reduce, and sometimes completely exterminate individual populations of other fish and amphibians, such as frogs and newts.

A favorite habitat of rotan are small reservoirs with a stagnant or slowly flowing environment and an abundance of higher aquatic vegetation. Thanks to special biological mechanisms and the mucous coating of the body, the fish seamlessly survives both critical drying up and complete freezing of a pond, stream, canal, lake.

The basis of the diet of the sleeper firebrand includes leeches, worms, larvae, small invertebrates, tadpoles, caviar and juveniles of other fish (bream, carp, crucian carp, gudgeon, carp, roach, loach). In addition, he is a pronounced scavenger and cannibal. The latter quality is especially pronounced in small ponds with a quantitative predominance of rotan. In turn, the grass is hunted by larger predatory fish. Depending on the size and characteristics of the reservoir, it can be perch, pike perch, pike, burbot or catfish.

Rotan remains active and has a great appetite throughout the year, which allows you to catch it both in open water, as well as on ice. Fish do not stop eating even in rain, windy weather, intense heat and frost. Indefatigable appetite disappears only during the spawning period.

Thanks to its huge mouth and wide throat, the predator is able to slowly and confidently swallow prey of the same diameter as own body. In this case, the stomach greatly increases in size, and the belly begins to sag. Then a well-fed fish sinks to the bottom, finds a safe shelter for itself and digests food for several days, remaining practically motionless.

reproduction

Sexual maturity of rotan occurs at 2-3 years. Spawning occurs in April-May at a water temperature of +15-18°C. Shallow water with dense vegetation or an abundance of solid substrate is chosen as a spawning ground, on which female sleeper lay a portion of several even rows of elongated and sticky eggs with a diameter of 1.3-1.5 mm. The pause between clutches is 2-3 weeks. In one season, each female is capable of giving life to 800-1000 fry.

During the breeding season, males acquire a mating black color, because of which the species received the nickname "firebrand". Immediately after spawning, they take care of all future offspring, guarding the clutch around the clock and fanning it with fins to enrich it with oxygen. The rotan larvae also remain completely safe, which hatch from eggs in 4-5 days and immediately switch to feeding on zooplankton. At the same time, a grown fry can already become a dinner for its parent, therefore it reliably hides in dense vegetation away from relatives and other fish.

Catching rotan

The grasshopper prefers a coastal shallow zone with a maximum concentration of fry, small crustaceans, amphibians, bottom larvae, which serve as the basis of its food base. In such a situation, catching fish on a classic long-range donk is impractical due to frequent difficult recasts. On open warm water the best tackle a fly rod will become on the rotan.

Spring, autumn and cloudy summer days light spinning, for example microjig, shows itself effectively. Also, for quiet and accurate catching of large rotan, a vent or a donk from a bottle is suitable. In winter, fish are caught from under the ice with a live bait or nodding rod.

Bait selection

The gluttony and omnivorous nature of the species determines a wide selection of baits of animal origin. Predatory fish rotan bites well on:

creep, earth and dung worm;
bloodworm, maggot, caddisfly;
snail, shellfish, amphibian meat;
small live bait;
artificial baits.

Catching rotan on chicken meat and skin, pieces of beef and lard, strips of fresh fish is often practiced. Such baits allow you to concentrate on catching a predator and practically reduce the probability of bites of cyprinids: crucian carp, roach, rudd, etc. to zero. In crowded water bodies, rotan can stably peck at some plant baits (peas, bread, corn, dough).

Float fishing

Despite the small weight of the fish and moderate resistance when playing, the tackle on the rotan should not be too thin and withstand a breaking load of several kilograms. This is due to the peculiarity of the habitats of the predator, abounding in aquatic vegetation and bottom debris.

The best option would be a monofilament line of green or Brown 0.1-0.15 mm thick. The installation of a leash is not necessary, but in order not to break off the entire equipment when hooked, it is better to arrange a separate installation of the hook using 20-30 cm thinner fishing line 0.08-0.12 mm.

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of a rattan hook, which should be big size and with a long forearm (No. 4-8 on international classification). Otherwise, the angler will constantly face the problem of pulling out a deeply swallowed bait. For the same reason, you should always have a long extractor with you.

The bite of rotan is quite specific. He often carefully takes the bait with his lips and slowly chews it. At the same time, the melting trembles finely, but remains in place. If a short and sharp cut is not performed within 1-2 seconds, the hook will be deep in the predator's throat and it will be difficult to get it back.

Despite the fact that rotan is a bottom fish, it carefully monitors the space above its head and immediately attacks prey swimming nearby. That is why it is advisable to adjust the tackle in such a way that the nozzle is 5-10 cm above the bottom.

Catching rotan with silicone lures

When using artificial baits (maggot, bloodworm, worm, crustacean), it is desirable to treat them with an attractant based on animal blood. If this is not possible, it is enough to wipe the nozzle with lard (lard) or roll in a pounded piece of chicken, beef or pork meat.

Fishing for rattan with spinning requires the use of ultra-light rods with a minimum test. In addition to silicone baits and jig heads, you can use micro-wobblers and small wobblers, such as Yo-Zuri Snap Beans, Pontoon 21 Cheerful 34 MR. The most catchy for rotan is twitching wiring with short and frequent jerks.

bottle fishing

In modern fishing predatory fish The classic "circle" tackle has been successfully replaced by a more affordable and cheaper device made from sealed plastic containers with a volume of 0.5-1.0 liters. At the same time, the principle of operation and the installation scheme of the donkey from the bottle are not much different from the original. The upgraded tackle in the same way has a wound supply of fishing line, a sinker (sliding or deaf), a leash with a hook on which the live bait is located.

In equipped position plastic bottle floats vertically and 2/3 is hidden under water due to the tension of the sinker. At the moment of bite, the rotan pulls the fishing line and pulls it out from under the clerical gum, which serves as a stopper-limiter. This causes the tension to loosen and the bottle to float in a horizontal position, which is the signal that the fish are biting.

The reverse scheme can also be used, when a bottle from a horizontal one takes a vertical position at the moment the rattan winds up the entire stock of fishing line.

Taste qualities of rotan

The firebrand is a low-calorie fish (88 kcal per 100 g) that has white meat with a pleasant taste. Due to the high density of the fillet, it is equally well suited for drying, stewing, boiling and baking. In addition, excellent meatballs and fillings for pies are prepared from rotan.

Despite the lack of fat (<2%), в составе рыбы достаточно много полезных компонентов:

fluorine, chromium, nickel;
iron, magnesium, manganese;
easily digestible proteins;
vitamins PP, A, E, D.

The best way to cook rotan can be considered frying in vegetable oil. It is important to carefully remove the insides and season the carcass with pepper and salt in advance. According to culinary specialists, fried rotan is more “sweet” and juicier than crucian carp, roach and bream.

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Origin and appearance

Looking at the photo, it becomes clear why rotan is called firebrand. This fish is distinguished by a large head, the body narrows towards the tail. Depending on the color of the bottom of the reservoir, the color of individuals changes. The darkest part is the back. The sides and belly may have a yellowish tint. Seasonal color change of rotan is associated with spawning. During this period, the fish becomes almost black.

The birthplace of rotan is the Amur River basin. In addition to our Far East, it is found in China and Korea. With the spread of the range, this predator, unusual for our places, began to pose a threat to the local ichthyofauna, since its diet consists of caviar and fry. Under favorable conditions, the weight of rattan can reach 1 kg or more, but catching one is a great success. The standard size of the "firebrand" does not exceed the length of the palm.

Migration from one reservoir to another occurs in two ways. The first is that fish can be deliberately relocated by humans. The second (natural) way is that its eggs are carried by birds. The voracity of rotan leads to the fact that over time in the pond, where it got through the water of fate or with human help, the species composition changes, and other fish gradually disappear. In rare cases, in parallel with it, perch and crucian carp coexist in the reservoir, but this phenomenon is also temporary.

Rotan belongs to the perch-like order, to the goby suborder. The huge mouth allows it to swallow rather large prey. The teeth are small, but sharp and there are many of them. This is clearly visible in the photo.

They are located in several rows. Dorsal fins - two. The one that is closer to the head is shorter, the back one is longer.

Features of behavior and nutrition

Not only is rotan a predator, but cannibalism is inherent in it. The fish feeds not only on the fry of other species, it eats its own relatives. Adult individuals eat almost all living things that are found in the reservoir, up to tadpoles and leeches. The diet of the fry consists of plankton and zoobenthos - living organisms that live in the bottom layer.

Rotan itself is a tasty prey for a larger predator. It becomes an object of perch and pike hunting. Pike are specially launched into the reservoirs to get rid of the voracious alien. Fishing for rattan is very interesting, especially in winter, but for pond farms, this fish becomes a real disaster. She does not know the sense of proportion, so she eats a lot. After being satiated, it can sit at the bottom for several days, digesting food.

In late spring, rotan goes to spawn. Spawning is extended in time from May to July. During this period, females become lighter, males darken. A growth forms on the head of the male, by which it is easy to determine the sex of the fish.

On average, the female spawns about 1000 eggs, yellow in color and oblong in shape. The male guards the future offspring, but after the larvae appear from the eggs, he loses all his caring and can feed on this very offspring.

Catching rotan

To successfully catch rotan, it is not necessary to have a lot of experience. During periods of its greatest activity, it is difficult to remain without a catch. He pecks both during the day and at night. The bait is swallowed so greedily that care should be taken to have an extractor at hand. Without it, it will be impossible to remove the hook and not damage the insides of the fish.

Catching rotan is effective at any time of the year. Neither heat nor inclement weather can spoil his appetite. In the summer it is caught on a float rod, less often on a spinning rod. The peculiarity of rotan bite is that even with a slight fluctuation of the float, the fish can sit firmly on the hook. The bite looks like this:

First, the float sinks a little;
Then it barely noticeably sways;
Then he goes to the side.

Sometimes nothing happens after priming. Rotan just shuts his mouth and stands without moving. This leaves its mark on the fishing process. In strong winds, bites may not be noticed. And only after you decide to check the bait, it turns out that the fish has been sitting on the hook for a long time.

Since rotan is a predator, there is an element of hunting in its behavior, but it does not have a strong desire to chase prey. Based on this, passive silicone baits are used when fishing with spinning. Installation - drop-shot. But the best summer tackle for rotan is considered to be a float fishing rod. It is very important that the hook is thin and sharp: the mouth of the fish is hard, it is not easy to break through it.

Like any predatory fish, rotan prefers food of animal origin, what kind of bait it is, it is better to find out from fellow fishermen right on the pond. He willingly pecks at:

Worm;
Motyl;
Maggot;
Zhivets;
Salo;
Lung and liver.

In some reservoirs, rotan is caught, as they say, on an empty hook - whatever you don’t attach, the bite will be provided.

Another promising bait is the intestines, moreover, of its own relatives. Everyone knows that very often he swallows the hook almost to the tail and in order to get it, you have to rip open the belly. These insides can be good bait.

When fishing with baits of animal origin, it is very useful to periodically move the tackle to activate the bite. Light twitches of the fishing line animate the worm and provoke the rotan to bite. Sometimes, to catch this fish, you have to work hard. If she does not peck in one place, it is necessary to change the location. This primarily applies to large individuals. They need to be looked for. Often they are lured with bait, which includes fish giblets.

Large rotan does not stray into flocks, but in winter you can often pull out several decent-sized fish from one hole. When the bite weakens or stops, it is recommended to move to another hole. Immediately after the ice melts, there is a lull, the rotan refuses any bait, but after just a few weeks everything changes, its usual voracity returns to it. After the opening of reservoirs from ice, rotan is the first to peck at summer gear.

Approximately in the middle of summer, catching large specimens stops. Reservoirs are covered with vegetation, approaches to promising places become more difficult, natural food becomes too much for a lazy predator to spend energy searching for a worm. But the little thing continues to move actively, its biting does not subside throughout the warm season.

We offer you to watch an informative video about catching rotan in winter.

samrybak.ru

Rotan fish is better known to the inhabitants of the Far East, which is its homeland and where it was brought from. In Russia, or rather, in its European part, this species appeared relatively recently - at the beginning of the twentieth century. There is a version that rotan was brought to Petrograd as an aquarium fish. He is unpretentious to food and very tenacious, and watching his behavior in the aquarium was very entertaining. After some time, rotans were released into a local reservoir, after which they spread throughout Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Belarus, where a huge number of this predator can be found. Prior to this, this species of fish lived in lakes, swamps and rivers of the Amur basin and was not found anywhere else in the world. It is believed that rotan is a weedy fish and the increase in its population in new territories has dealt a strong blow to the number of other, more useful and valuable species of ichthyofauna.

Biological characteristics of the species

Rotan belongs to the perch-like order of the firebrand family. In addition to its classic name, it has a number of others, such as grass, firebrand, rotan firebrand, etc.

It is customary to rank it among the gobies known to fishermen, but this is erroneous, since both species belong to completely different families. It is very easy for a beginner to confuse them, since outwardly both species are quite similar, and an inexperienced eye can be mistaken if several significant differences are not taken into account. If you know the description of rotan, you can’t confuse it with other types of fish, since it has signs that are unique to it.

Having figured out what one and the second look looks like, a significant difference will become visible. Rotan and goby differ in color, size, shape of the head and body, size and shape of the fins. For example, in the first, the head takes on a practical third of the entire body, while in the second, this indicator is more modest. The main feature that allows you to accurately determine the type of fish is the number and shape of the ventral fins. Unlike the single, sucker-like ventral fin that the goby has, the rotan has two small fins.

The size of the rotan mainly varies from 10 to 15 cm, but sometimes there are large rotan, the length of which reaches 25 cm, and weighing 500–600 g. In very rare cases, a huge rotan, weighing up to a kilogram, falls on the hook.

The color varies between gray-green and dirty brown. Firebrand fish can change colors depending on the characteristics of the reservoir, namely the color and pollution of the water, light, bottom characteristics, etc. During the mating season, males darken, females remain lighter in color.

Sexual maturity occurs at the age of two years. The total lifespan averages about 5 years, but some individuals live up to 7–8 years.

There are opponents to this opinion. In some cases, with the help of this species, on the contrary, it is possible to correctly balance the number of individuals of valuable breeds relative to the volume of their food. For example, if the number of crucians in a reservoir exceeds the allowable indicator, then there will not be enough food for them all. In such cases, the maximum weight that crucian carp can grow to will be very small. Rotans, eating fry, destroy unnecessary applicants for food, so that each individual crucian feeds fully, and as a result, it grows to large sizes. Therefore, there are also reservoirs where rotan is allowed to be found.

Rotan nutrition

If you learn everything about rotans, then we can conclude that this is not a weedy fish, but rather an active predator that can feed on almost everything that the environment rewarded it with.

The fry cannot boast of a variety in the diet, the food for them is zooplankton, but what the adult rotan eats is much more interesting. In the process of development, it begins to feed on caviar, fry and medium-sized fish species, leeches, newts, and amphibian larvae. He also does not disdain his fellows, and a relatively large rotan can attack a representative of his own species, which does not differ much from him in size.

Rotan breeds very quickly and if its population is not kept under control, then in a very short time it can completely exterminate other valuable fish species. To prevent this, other predators are launched into the reservoir, for which rotan will already be a real delicacy.

For hunting, rotans gather in flocks and jointly attack shoals of other fish species. Eating its prey one after another, the predator is quickly satiated and goes to the bottom of the reservoir, where it lives until the food eaten is digested.

Thanks to the powerful jaw and large mouth, rotan easily swallows prey, which is not much smaller in size. Gradual swallowing does not interfere with his breathing in any way.

Despite the presence of many floating prey species, rotans feed on insects from the surface of the water and extract various larvae from the muddy bottom of the reservoir.

Behavior at different times of the year

In the period from May to June, rotan spawns, and one female produces huge offspring - up to one thousand eggs. It is constantly protected from other fish by males. Of course, it is possible to protect caviar only from those predators that rotan can defeat. But, for example, with a perch, which may appear near the offspring, he should not even try to fight.

They catch rotan throughout all seasons of the year. He is gluttonous and bites perfectly in any weather. Even in winter, experienced fishermen can catch good volumes of this fish in the first ice.

The behavior of a predator in winter is not the same as that of other species, which, during a particularly cold period, stray into flocks and look for warmer areas. Rotans do not do this and prefer to hunt and feed alone.

The only thing that can make them form flocks is severe frosts, in which the reservoir freezes completely. At this time, the predator feels a lack of oxygen and a decrease in temperature, which makes it huddle in groups for the sake of survival.

Even if the water column freezes completely, and the reservoir turns into one continuous ice floe, unfrozen areas remain around flocks of rotans. This is due to the fact that riba releases substances that do not allow the temperature of the water to drop to an indicator that is less than necessary for normal life. Before the onset of heat, the predator is in suspended animation, and when the temperature rises, it comes to life again and can appear in its usual places.

There are no more tenacious fish in local reservoirs. Even crucian carp, which can live in very limited and extreme conditions, cannot be compared with rotan.

Ways to catch rotan

You can catch this fish day and night, there will always be bites. The only difference is that at night the catch may be slightly smaller. Her bites will seem phlegmatic to many, but you should not hesitate here, and when the first signs appear, you need to cut. If you miss the moment, the rotan can swallow the bait so deeply that it will not work to pull it out with your hands.

Excellent results are obtained by a light rod equipped with a nod or a float and a mormyshka. The thickness of the fishing line is not of fundamental importance, since rotans usually do not pay attention to this. To protect yourself from losing tackle, it is better to equip the fishing rod with a fishing line with a diameter of 0.15 mm to 0.2 mm.

Spinning for micro jig also allows you to catch a lot of fish if it is interested in the bait. Tackle should be thrown a little further than the intended location of the predator, and then perform wave-like wiring. Usually a bite follows after the second or third cast. Rubber baits should be used flavored. Their rotan takes more willingly.

Many practice fishing using spinning using the drop-shot method. In this version, a sinker clings to the end of the fishing line, and closer, at a distance of about 50 cm, there is a hook with a bait.

Winter fishing is carried out using ordinary winter fishing rods equipped with a nod or a float.

fishelovka.com

Description of rotan

Since the second half of the last century, among foreign and domestic aquarists, rotan has often been called the Amur goby, which is due to the very characteristic appearance of such a fish.

Appearance

Rotans, or grassworts, have a dense and short body, covered with dull and medium-sized scales.. The rotan firebrand is distinguished by a rather variable color, but still grayish-green and dirty brownish tones are predominant, with a clear presence of small spots and irregularly shaped stripes. Coloration of the belly, as a rule, nondescript grayish shades. With the onset of the mating season, rotans acquire a characteristic black color. The length of an adult varies depending on the basic conditions of the habitat, but is approximately 14-25 cm. The maximum weight of an adult fish is 480-500 gr.

The head of rotans is quite large, with a large mouth, seated with small and sharp teeth, which are arranged in several rows. The gill covers of the fish have a backward-pointing spike characteristic of all perciformes. The main difference between rotan is the formation of a soft spine-like process and soft fins without pointed spines.

This is interesting! In a sandy pond, the scales of golovach-rotan are lighter in color than those of individuals inhabiting swampy waters. By spawning, approximately in May-July, the male turns into a noble black color, and the female, on the contrary, acquires lighter shades.

There are a pair of fins in the back area, but the hind fin is noticeably longer. The species feature is represented by a short anal fin and large, rounded pectoral fins. The caudal fin of the fish also has a rounded shape. In general, rotans in appearance very much resemble representatives of ordinary goby fish, but have a pair of disproportionately small pelvic fins.

Behavior and lifestyle

Rotanas are not able to survive when completely frozen, but when water freezes, due to glucose and glycerin, which are secreted by fish, the specific concentration of salts in tissues and water increases markedly, which contributes to a significant decrease in the crystallization temperature. Thus, immediately after thawing water, rotans can easily return to their normal life.

Perscottus glenii prefers stagnant water bodies, ponds and marshes. The fish of this species is very unpretentious to external conditions, including oxygen deficiency, but tries to avoid water bodies with a fast or moderate current. The only representative of the firebrand genus inhabits ponds, is found in small, overgrown and swampy lakes, as well as oxbow lakes.

This is interesting! Rotans are able to easily withstand the partial drying up of reservoirs and the complete freezing of water to the bottom in winter, and also survive perfectly even in polluted waters.

A sedentary fish, actively hunts along with other typical ambush predators - hiding in dense underwater thickets. In the last ten days of December, fish form significant concentrations in ice cavities, which are filled with air-ice wet masses. In this state of stupor, the fish hibernate until the onset of spring. In the water bodies near Moscow, rotan firebrands, as a rule, do not hibernate.

Lifespan

The average life span of rotan under the most favorable conditions is within fifteen years, but a significant part of individuals live for about 8-10 years.

Rotan belongs to the perch-like order of the firebrand family. In addition to its classic name, it has a number of others, such as grass, firebrand, rotan firebrand, etc.

Photo 1. Rotan weighing more than 300 grams is considered large.

Sexual maturity occurs at the age of two years. The total lifespan averages about 5 years, but some individuals live up to 7–8 years.

There are opponents to this opinion. In some cases, with the help of this species, on the contrary, it is possible to correctly balance the number of individuals of valuable breeds relative to the volume of their food. For example, if in a reservoir it exceeds the allowable indicator, then there will not be enough food for all of them. In such cases, the maximum weight that crucian carp can grow to will be very small. Rotans, eating fry, destroy unnecessary applicants for food, so that each individual crucian feeds fully, and as a result, it grows to large sizes. Therefore, there are also reservoirs where rotan is allowed to be found.

Photo 2. Catching rotans.