Fish that live in the river. The largest freshwater fish or river monsters. Differences in the method of reproduction

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 marine and river fish serve as a source of food for people, medicines and fertilizers for 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 essential parts of nature.

Fish of the rivers of Russia

The most common fish living in the rivers of Russia 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 - rudd, bream, roach, scavenger, 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 looking for plankton and plant foods. In especially in summer, various algae grow rapidly, which are 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 with a length of more than 1.80 meters and a weight of at least 90 kg is considered a large individual. Record holders in size are several species of these aquatic vertebrates. One of them is a beluga. Its weight reaches 1400 kg, and its length is about five meters. Not far behind the size of the beluga and pike. Its largest representatives are found in the northern rivers of Russia.

European (ordinary) catfish weighs about 350 kg and is up to 4.5 meters long. It lives in almost all big rivers 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 of Russia have their most valuable specimens. The most expensive of them is the Russian beluga. So, for example, caught in a female, whose weight is 1227 kg, gave 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. For example, in the seventies in the Volga River Delta, the catch of carp was at least ten thousand tons per year.

Fish of the rivers of Primorye

Russia has a huge territory, in the reservoirs of which many different species of fish live. So, 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 the Sakhalin taimen, are even listed in the Red Book. Other river fish of Primorye can boast the most unusual names - for example, snake catcher, gubar horse, yellow-cheeked and skygazer. In addition to the mentioned fish, Amur pike, catfish, crucian carp, carp, salmon, lenok, kuzhda and grayling live in the local area. One of the most unpretentious and common fish of the Primorsky Territory is the rudd. And although many locals consider her too bony, but in terms of taste characteristics she is magnificent. There are two types of rudd: small-scaled and large-scaled. Usually this fish grows up to half a meter in length and weighs up to one and a half kilograms.

Fishing in the suburbs

For lovers of fishing for many years, the Moscow region has remained a favorite place a relaxing holiday. Amazing nature, quiet evenings, clean air and plenty of fish in the reservoirs - all that is needed for Russian fishing. Severka, Ruza, Istra, Nerskaya, Protva, Nara, Besputa, Dubna, Sestra and others hide various popular and tasty fish in their waters. These are perch, and carp, and crucian, and roach, and pike, and gudgeon, and bream, and chub, and bream, and asp, and bleak. River fish of the Moscow region are caught both with the help of fishing rods and with the help of spinning, fly fishing, boat and bale.

Pike - the queen of Russian rivers

Speaking about the fish that are found on the territory of 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 Europe, as well as Asia and the United States of America. The size of the pike is predetermined by the food base: the larger the average size of the fish in the river, the larger the pike can grow. It is rightfully considered one of the most predatory freshwater fish. Her appearance fully testifies to this: a long flattened head with a huge mouth and a lot of sharp teeth looks intimidating. Many river fish have become prey for this agile predator. The color of pike is mostly gray-green, with speckles. Thanks to the 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, and various garbage, and small mammals, and even chicks of waterfowl.

Rare and endangered fish

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

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

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

Impact of the environmental situation

Unfortunately today ecological situation affects many river systems. Quite often there are cases of river pollution by emissions from factories and industrial enterprises, storm sewage, which includes various hazardous chemical substances. River fish, crayfish, turtles and other inhabitants under such circumstances not only change their habitual way of life, but also become victims of mutations or disappear altogether. And it's not a secret for anyone that an insufficient amount of attention from the human society can lead to an irreparable ecological disaster.

Fish common in all types of water bodies, from marine water spaces to the smallest ponds, eriks and rivers. Tropics and eternal ice are also rich in unusual varieties of fish. In the reservoirs of Russia, aquatic inhabitants are very diverse and distinguished by their beauty. In the territory Russian Federation there are more than 120 thousand rivers, about 2,000,000 lakes, 12 seas, 3 oceans, and all of them are habitats fish. Even in fresh Russian reservoirs, more than 450 fish species, and many live permanently, and some arrive temporarily until a certain period.

general information

According to the presence and nature of the rays in the fins of most bony fish a fin formula is compiled, which is widely used in their description and definition. In this formula, the abbreviated designation of the fin is given in Latin letters: A - anal fin (from the Latin pinna analis), P - pectoral fin (pinna pectoralis), V - ventral fin (pinna ventralis) and D1, D2 - dorsal fins (pinna dorsalis). Roman numerals give the numbers of prickly, and Arabic - soft rays.

Gills absorb oxygen from the water and release carbon dioxide, ammonia, urea and other waste products into the water. Teleost fish have four gill arches on each side.

Gill rakers are the thinnest, longest, and most numerous in plankton-feeding fish. In predators, gill rakers are rare and sharp. The number of stamens is counted on the first arch, located immediately under the gill cover.

The pharyngeal teeth are located on the pharyngeal bones, behind the fourth gill arch.

River fish is an essential source of protein in the human diet, as well as amino acids and vitamins. The value of river fish has been established for a long time, and the variety is so great that sometimes you can’t immediately make out what kind of individual is in your hands.

Knowledge of what a particular species looks like and what characterizes it will also be useful to a fisherman, since each species has its own behavioral characteristics and food preferences.

Zander

Pike perch belongs to the family of perch fish. It is quite simple to recognize pike perch by its color and peculiar physique. Pike perch belongs to predators, therefore the shape of the body corresponds to a similar type of survival: the body of the surveillance is oblong and flattened on the sides.

From above, near the large fin and along the perimeter of the back, the color is dark green, but already on the sides the color turns into mother-of-pearl.

Also on the sides there are vertical stripes, dark green in color, which pike perch uses to camouflage when hunting - often there are from 8 to 10 pieces.

The lower part, or belly, is light. The scales of pike perch are quite small, as for river fish, but the average for predatory fish.

Fins yellowish. IN oral cavity canine teeth are located, and between them there may also be small ones.

Pike perch lives in clean waters, with a lot of oxygen. It feeds on small fish and is able to grow up to 20 kg.

Bersh

Bersh, like pike perch, belongs to schooling predatory fish. The color is very similar to the color of zander, only the stripes on the sides are more expressive. The scales are slightly larger than those of ordinary predatory fish, there are no fangs on the lower lip. Reaches up to a kilogram in weight, with a body length of half a meter.

Perch

The body is similar in color to pike perch, but the structure is different. There is a hump between the first fin on the back and the head, it is noteworthy that there are two fins on the back.

The first fin has a black spot in the back, and both dorsal fins are dark in color, but the rest are orange. This species is distinguished by the ability to adapt to any conditions, which made it a picky inhabitant of the reservoir.

Ruff

Belongs to the perch family and outwardly you can recognize it by a spotted, black dot, back, including on dorsal fin. The ruff is known for being very spiky when handled, due to its fins and gill covers.

The ruff grows only up to 30 cm and is not very muscular, which makes it of little value to fishermen. It feeds mainly on small insects, fish fry, but does not disdain leeches.

chop

The fish is part of the perch family, although its elongated yellowish cylinder-shaped body can be confusing in definition. Only four faint stripes on the body enhance confidence in family ties perch.

Chop belongs to sedentary fish, and feeds mainly on larvae, worms and young fish.

The fish does not belong to the category of mass fishermen and is rarely caught by fishermen, but it is distinguished by enviable vitality - it easily transfers movement from one reservoir to another.

Pike

Quite famous predatory fish which is hard to confuse. In shape, the body slightly resembles a torpedo.

Depending on the habitat, the color can be completely different: gray, black, dark green.

Gray or brown color may be added.

The belly is often white, but on the sides there may be light dots or stripes of different sizes. different shapes and anywhere.

Fins are yellowish-red.

The pike is a solitary predator and hunts by waiting for the prey in the shelter, using camouflage and powerful jaw full of razor-sharp teeth.

It feeds on small fish, but there are cases when pike attacked water birds. Pike grows up to 40 kg.

Roach

The roach is a schooling fish. It has a slanting body, surveillance is compressed on the sides. The fins below the lateral line of the fish have an orange-red light, and those above are dark, with a red coating on the ends.

The iris of the eyes is orange. The color of the scales is uniformly silvery, with the exception of a greenish back. This species is very common, and often hides from predators in the grass.

The fish is not very whimsical about food: it feeds on caviar, worms, and small mollusks. Cases have been recorded when fish even swallowed berries that fell from the bushes into the water.

It grows no more than 45 cm in length and weighs up to 2 kilograms, but the most common is a length of 20 cm.

Bream

A small head and a high flattened body make it possible to immediately recognize this type of fish belonging to the carp family.

Depending on age, the scales may be light gray in young individuals, or golden in older individuals.

Fins in any case will be gray and inconspicuous.

The bream lives in reservoirs with a small current and keeps to the bottom, in search of peace.

Feeds mainly on larvae, worms, small crustaceans and algae.

The bream grows up to half a meter in length and weighs up to 5 kg, and is a welcome trophy for any fisherman.

White-eye

It got its name from the white iris. The white-eyed bream is a subspecies of the bream, but is distinguished by a smaller hump on its back and big eyes, relative to the body. The color is similar to the color of the bream, except that the back may have a bluish tint.

Habits are very similar to bream, but it chooses water bodies with a high flow rate, but still stays closer to the bottom. It feeds on algae and small larvae, less often on molluscs. It grows up to 30 cm in length and weighs no more than one kilogram.

Guster

It belongs to close relatives of the bream, and can often even be confused, since the shape of the body is almost identical. You can distinguish by larger scales and reddish fin bases, which you will not find in bream.

It prefers calm waters, but does not always keep to the bottom - fish can be caught in any part. It feeds, like all representatives of cyprinids, algae, worms, mollusks and grows up to 30 cm and not more than half a kilogram.

Carp

Carp refers to schooling fish. He has a long body, and sometimes even high.

The color of the carp is dark brown on top and becomes more golden towards the belly.

On the back it has a long fin that reaches almost to the tail.

He also has a pair of mustaches at the corners of his lips, and a pair of short ones above his upper lip.

Preferably found in water bodies with little or reverse flow.

Carp grows up to a meter and over 20 kilograms, so it is quite voracious and not bitter in food: it eats both animals and plant food, sometimes it can even eat tree branches lowered into the water.

Carp

The legacy of the wild carp is the domesticated carp. It is less picky than common carp and is a valuable industrial fish due to the taste of meat, and is therefore specially bred.

Carp lives mainly at depth, and comes out to feed in shallow water. There are many subspecies, bred taking into account the necessary needs for the amount of meat and scales.

Carp: gold and silver

The crucian carp belongs to the family of cyprinids, and outwardly retained its features: a high body and flattened sides.

The body of the silver is slightly more elongated than that of the gold.

Crucian carp is quite hardy, and is found in almost all water bodies where fish live.

Golden carp is more hardy than silver carp and lives in small stagnant ponds, and silver carp in flowing ones.

The crucian feeds on everything it finds, and like all cyprinids, it is omnivorous.

Golden crucian grows up to 3 kg, and silver only up to two.

lyn

The lyn is notable for its low energy, and it got its name, as it kind of “molts” when it is taken out of the water. This happens because the body of the fish is covered with mucus, which hardens and falls off in the sun.

The lyn has a thick, clumsy body. The back is dark green, the sides are olive, and closer to the belly the color becomes yellowish, the fins are gray-brown.

The lynx rarely changes its habitat, even due to the need for food. It feeds on algae and larvae and can grow up to 60 cm in length and weigh up to 8 kg.

Chub

The body of the fish is almost round shape. The back is dark green, the sides are silvery, and closer to the belly it becomes silvery white. On the scales one can see typical black borders on the edge of the scales.

Lateral fins are orange; located on the lower part of the belly are bright red, and all the rest gray color. It has a large head with a flat forehead.

Prefers cold water, so it can be found in rivers with fast and medium currents. In the diet, it prefers coma that have fallen into the water, but in general it is omnivorous: it feeds on both algae and small fish, not to mention larvae and worms. Grows up to 8 kg.

Ide

The body of the ide is slightly elongated. The back is silvery, with gilding on the sides and gradually turns white closer to the belly. The fins are all red, except for the tail - it is gray.

Prefers fast and deep rivers, but keeps closer to the bottom, and if it goes into shallow water, it hides under overhanging tree branches. The fish is nocturnal, and the diet is almost similar to that of the chub. The ide grows up to 70 cm in length and can weigh up to 8 kg.

asp

Asp refers to predatory fish, but prefers loneliness to a flock. The body is oblong, slightly compressed laterally, but rather rounded than flat.

The color is typical, like many fish: a dark green back, silvery sides and a white belly.

The lateral and ventral fins are red, while the rest are grey. The fish has a large oblique mouth, but without teeth, but has a tubercle on the upper lip, and a depression on the lower one, which looks like a regular bite.

Prefers fast ponds, rapids and mountain rivers. It feeds on small fish and insects falling into the water. He hunts quite interestingly: he waits for the moment and at high speed tumbles into a flock and suddenly grabs small fish. Asp grows weighing up to 10 kg and up to 80 cm long.

Chekhon

Although the sabrefish belongs to the cyprinids, its long body and compressed sides make it doubtful. The fish has a bluish back color, slightly pinkish sides. Like most fish, the ventral and lateral fins are reddish, while the rest are grey.

The sabrefish prefers clean water bodies with a minimum of vegetation. It grows up to 70 cm, but the weight usually does not exceed a kilogram, due to the structure of the body. A feature of the sabrefish is that the scales exfoliate very well.

Rudd

The rudd is distinguished by red fins, hence the name. Outwardly similar to a roach, but the color is more golden, and the head is smaller. It lives in lakes and rivers and prefers to be in upper layers reservoir.

It feeds mainly on algae and insects and grows no more than 1.5 kg.

Podust

Podust is distinguished by the dark color of the lower belly and dark fins. The body is elongated, and the short caudal fin is especially noticeable. It belongs to herbaceous fish, as it feeds on algae that grow on stones at the bottom of the reservoir.

Prefers fast-flowing rivers, and due to its active lifestyle, rarely grows over half a kilogram.

Bleak

The bleak is distinguished by an elongated body, compressed on the sides. The color is typical, except that the brightness of the silvery scales in the sun dazzles. Lives in clean and quiet rivers and lakes, more often in reservoirs.

It feeds on insects and their larvae, caviar of other fish, but basically it can be considered the food of other fish, since it is often found near the surface of the water and grows no more than 20 cm.

Bystryanka

The quicksand is somewhat similar to the bleak, but has a taller, but shorter body. The difference is also in the two-point line, drawn by a dotted line along the lateral line. It grows no more than 12 cm in length, and is found mainly in rivers, less often in lakes.

Gudgeon

The minnow is distinguished by a grayish-brown color of the back and yellowish-silver sides with a belly. The body is elongated and rounded, with a pair of whiskers at the corners of the lips. Prefers clean shallow waters, where it prefers to keep the bottom.

It feeds mainly on animal food such as worms and larvae, less often on small mollusks.

White amur

The grass carp has a typical body color with a dark back and a gradual lightening to the belly. The upper and caudal fin are dark, and all the rest are light, closer to transparent.

For life, cupid chooses clean flowing reservoirs with quiet backwaters. It belongs to herbivorous fish, but at the same time it is able to grow up to 30 kg and up to 120 cm long.

silver carp

The silver carp, as the name implies, has a thick and wide forehead. The color is typical, except for the yellowish fins. belongs to the valuable industrial types fish, and is found in clear waters with little current, but prefers reservoirs.

Able to grow up to a meter in length and weigh 20 kg, despite the fact that the diet is purely vegetable.

catfish

Catfish is distinguished by a dull brown color and a huge head with two long mustaches on the sides and four short ones on the beard. The mouth is quite wide and strewn with sharp teeth, which is not surprising for a predator.

This species is considered settled and rarely leaves its habitat. The catfish is found in clean, but deep-sea waters and can reach 5 meters in length and weigh 300 kg. Given its enormous size and clumsiness, it also feeds on carrion.

channel catfish

Like the "big brother", channel catfish is a predatory fish. It is distinguished by a lighter color compared to the usual catfish and smaller sizes - it can grow up to only 45 kg and no more than 1.5 meters.

Prefers clear waters, but keeps to the bottom. It feeds on animal food, such as small crustaceans, worms, mollusks, larvae.

Acne

The eel differs in the structure of the body, like a snake. Refers to predatory fish. Outwardly, it is brown-green, with yellowness on the sides.

A feature is the absence of a posterior fin - it is stretched from the back to the belly along the wedge-shaped back of the body. It feeds on animal food, sometimes even frogs.

snakehead

It got its name for a flattened head, resembling a snake and atypical for fish, color - yellow-brown body, in places with chaotic spots.

It belongs to predators, and therefore has sharp teeth. Prefers rivers with large vegetation, but feeds on small fish and frogs. Able to reach a mass of 8 kg and a length of one meter.

Burbot

It has an elongated body and a pair of long symmetrical fins on the belly and back. The color is also specific: the body is brown-brown-green with dark and light spots.

There are antennae on the chin and at the nostrils. It feeds mainly on animal food, but does not disdain carrion. Able to grow up to 25 kg.

Loach

It is distinguished by a long, elongated body with a dark yellowish color, lighter towards the belly and dark stripes along the body. It is very hardy and chooses reservoirs with a silty bottom, where it feeds on larvae and small living creatures. Able to grow up to 30 cm.

Char

It has an elongated body, with a dark green back, gray-yellow sides and a yellow belly. A distinctive feature is the six antennae on the chin. It feeds on caviar and small living creatures and does not grow more than 10 cm.

Lamprey Hungarian

The body is elongated, and resembles an eel. On the back there are two untouchable fins from the middle of the body, almost to the tail. It has an interesting color: dark gray back passes into silvery sides and a white-yellowish belly.

Prefers clean waters and is close to extinction due to river pollution. Does not grow more than 30 cm.

Lamprey Ukrainian

The body is eel-shaped with a three-color color: a gray back, sides are silvery, and closer to the belly it becomes whitish. Differs in a lighter color than that of the Hungarian lamprey. May have a row of teeth on the lower lip.

It prefers extremely clean river basins and is able to reach 50 cm in length, but often does not exceed 20 cm.

Sterlet

It has an elongated, not high and spindle-shaped body with a dark gray color on the back, lighter on the sides and a light belly. A feature is the spikes on the lateral line, the number of which reaches 50.

It lives in clean water bodies and keeps closer to the sandy bottom. Able to grow up to 16 kg and over a meter long.

Danube salmon

The body of salmon is long and resembles the shape of a cylinder. It has a dark gray color to the middle of the belly, then it gradually brightens. A feature are black spots scattered throughout the body.

Prefers deep clean rivers, and stays close to the bottom. Able to reach weights up to 20 kg.

Brook trout

The body is elongated and not flattened laterally. The color is changeable, but a dark gray back and a light belly are characteristic. Dark or pinkish dots are scattered all over the body. Inhabits fast mountain rivers with rocky bottoms.

Able to grow up to 2 kg, but usually the weight does not exceed one kilogram.

Umber

It has an elongated body covered with large scales. The back is dark, with light brown sides and a golden belly; has dark spots scattered over the body.

Armed with small teeth and lives in stagnant waters with good vegetation. It grows no more than 12 cm and feeds on small fish and spineless.

grayling european

It has a long, low body with a high dorsal fin. The back has a brownish tint, and the sides have a metallic sheen. Along the body it has yellowish stripes, and black spots are scattered near the head.

It lives in clean cold water bodies and usually does not exceed 30 cm and 300 grams.

Carp

The body structure is similar to salmon: oblong and thick, in the form of a cylinder. The back is dark gray with a green tint with grayish sides and a light belly. It lives in estuaries and lives in small flocks. Able to grow up to 8 kg.

Is there a river fish without bones? Answer: it happens! If we take the list considered, then the bones are absent in the body of catfish, eel and lampreys. The sterlet's skeleton is completely cartilaginous.

Features of river fish

Due to the limited habitat, one can meet fish with clearly expressed adaptive features. Predators have an elongated body with a camouflage color and are quite muscular. Non-predatory river fish are characterized by a high and flat body, often silvery in color with bright fins.

The diversity of river fish has been of interest to man since ancient times. Our ancestors fished to feed their families. Now, fishing is most often a hobby or recreation. This fact does not negate the benefits of fish products in the diet of children and adults.

List of river fish in Russia pretty big. Consider its main representatives.

Zander

Schooling predatory fish with valuable meat, which includes the entire list of amino acids. Distinctive feature- camouflage color in the form of dark vertical stripes on the back. It lives at the bottom of clean rivers, in pits. Feeds on small fish, frogs, crustaceans. For a fisherman, pike perch is considered a trophy. You can fish with a spinning rod and a float rod on live bait.

Perch

Chub

Lives in cool water of fast rivers. It feeds on larvae, fry, frogs. Able to jump out of the water to catch an insect. It reaches 70-80 cm in length. The body and head are large. - difficult prey, as it is shy and cautious. You can catch in the spring on the dough and the larvae of the cockchafer. Summer bait - grasshoppers, dragonflies, flies.

Ide

Outwardly similar to a roach or chub. The scales are silvery, darkening with age. Omnivorous. Lives in pools, under a bridge, near a tree lying in the water. Ide gathers in flocks in winter. It tolerates temperature changes well. It is an object of sport fishing.

asp

Lives in fast-moving waters, under dams and sluices. Predatory fish with original way hunting. jumps out of the water, falls on the victim, stunning it. Food is captured by a bony protrusion on the lower jaw, grinds with pharyngeal teeth. Reaches a size of 120 cm. The body is wide, laterally compressed, with a powerful back. The scales are light silvery in color. Valuable trophy for the fisherman.

Chekhon

Schooling, usually small fish. Dwells in clean water. Feeds on insects. Actively pecking at the bait. The bait can be maggot, silicone bait, grasshoppers. Taste qualities appreciated. Remove the gills before cooking.

Podust

Lives in fast flowing rivers. It feeds on bottom algae and larvae. Can eat caviar. Prefers cool water. Catches well in summer.

Bleak

Schooling fish living in surface waters. The omnivorous bleak is often caught in the summer and late winter. Distributed everywhere.

Bystryanka

Outwardly similar to bleak. A distinctive feature is a dotted stripe on the sides of the body. The size of the bystrianka is 10-12 cm. It feeds on algae and zooplankton. Inhabits fast flowing rivers.

Gudgeon

This little fish is found everywhere. Chooses places with a sandy bottom. The minnow has a cylindrical body with large scales without mucus. Active during the day, sinks to the bottom at night. Feeds on small invertebrates, insects, larvae. In the spring they eat eggs of other fish. They are valuable as bait for catching large predatory fish. It bites well on small worms.

White amur

Herbivorous large fish, reaches 1.2 m. Amur scales are large, with a black rim. Likes warm water. Fishing lasts from May to October. Fishing takes place in the coastal zone overgrown with reeds. The bait can be semolina, dough, peas, potatoes. is commercial fish, its meat is white, dense, fatty.

silver carp

Large fish living in moderately flowing rivers. It lives in warm water, with the onset of cold weather falls into hibernation. feeds on zooplankton. Schooling fish, weight reaches 20 kg. Caught on dough and vegetable baits.

catfish

Predatory single fish. It is distinguished by the absence of scales and the presence of a mustache. lives in the depths, inhabits underwater pits. It feeds on mollusks, frogs, and fish. Can eat dead fish. He also eats plant foods. Weighs up to 300 kg. The catfish is active at night, after rain and during fog. It was at this time that the fishermen hunted him. They catch on a boat, on a bunch of worms, mollusks, locusts, frogs, live bait.

Acne

River eel lives in places with a weak current and a clay bottom. Predator, like a snake. Feeds on crabs and worms. Crawls into another body of water on wet grass. It grows up to 47 cm. It lives in the European part of Russia, goes to the Sargasso Sea for spawning. After spawning, the fish dies. Eels are caught with float and bottom rods on live bait. The bait is cast in the evening and checked in the morning. The meat is nutritious, smoked eel is considered a delicacy.

Burbot

Industrial bottom fish, Lives under snags. It feeds on mollusks, small fish, and frogs. It grows up to 1 m. Spawning and active fishing takes place in winter. They fish with float rods. Bait - pieces of fish, worms, bird giblets.

Loach

A small fish with a thin elongated body and a yellow back. Length up to 30 cm. Lives in quiet parts of the river. IN dangerous situation buried in silt. In time of drought, it looks for another body of water, crawls over land, at this time it is caught in puddles. During the catch, the loach squeaks. Feeds on larvae and eggs of other fish. Moreover, a flock of loaches can cause significant harm to the population of carp, crucian carp or tench. Due to its repulsive appearance, it is rarely eaten, although its meat is tender, fatty, and tench-like.

Char

Representative of the salmon family. The back is brown, the body is in small spots. Scales are absent. The meat does not decrease in volume during heat treatment and contains Omega-3 fatty acid. It feeds on larvae and fish eggs. You can catch it on a bloodworm.

Lamprey

Found in the basin of the Kuban, Don. Lives in clean running water, lives on a sandy bottom. The larval period of the lamprey lasts 5-6 years. Larvae feed on plankton and small invertebrates, grow up to 17-23 cm. Adult lampreys do not feed. The adult state lasts about a year, then the lamprey spawns and dies. The fish is included in the Red Book.

snakehead

Predatory inhabitant of rivers weighing up to 30 kg. It looks like a snake, fiercely guards its territory. Defeats an enemy of any size. In the reservoir it destroys fish and looks for another, rich in food. While searching for another body of water, it is able to breathe air for up to 5 days. For fishing you need a boat without a motor and a strong rod. The bait is a fish from the same reservoir. Snakehead meat is delicious, suitable for cooking

Sterlet

Valuable fish Dwells at depth in fast rivers. Feeds on larvae small crustaceans, shellfish, small fish. The fish is dark grey-brown in color. Characteristic- narrow long nose. Instead of scales on the body, there are five rows of bone growths. The sterlet is classified as an endangered species. In the regions, rules for catching it have been approved. Fishing without a license is prohibited.

Brook trout

inhabits in fast cold waters, enriched with oxygen. The body is thin, elongated. The scales are small, dense. Coloration from brown to yellow. The head is black with golden gill covers. The body is dotted with spots. The meat is white or with a pink tint. Feeds on crustaceans, tadpoles, larvae. Eats caviar, even its relatives. Catch it wading or from a boat.

grayling european

An agile fish with a remarkable appearance. On the dorsal fin of grayling are bright yellow spots. Lives in northern Russia in fast waters. You can catch any lure. Fishing is allowed only with a license. The object of sport fishing. Grayling meat is valued, it is soft and tasty.

The list of Russian fish can be continued. At river fish There is common features- this is an elongated body, which is an element of adaptation to life in water of a certain density. Appearance and their habits are diverse and depend on the habitat, type of food and other factors.

List of fish that live in fresh water. These are predatory fish and peaceful fish species, primarily river fish and lake fish. The list contains names, descriptions, and photos of fish in their habitat. The fish on the list is characterized from several points of view:

• Ichthyological: features of fish as a species, habitat, fish nutrition, spawning;
• Culinary: nutritional value of fish, taste, properties of meat, fat content, bone structure;
• Fishing: fish as an object of amateur and sport fishing.

The habits of fish, methods of fishing, tackle and bait are described. Examples of culinary applications are given, and dishes for which fish is most suitable.

River fish

River fish cannot exist in salt water. sea ​​water, A sea ​​fish in fresh. With some exceptions: migratory fish can live in fresh water, and in salt.

Some marine fish migrate to the rivers for spawning - these are salmon, trout, herring. These types of fish are called anadromous. Salmon go upstream hundreds of kilometers from where they flow into the sea, spawn there, slide back, and die. Anadromous fish has a great commercial value.

Freshwater river fish are also not always sedentary, and may migrate to salt waters. Some species of freshwater fish (catadromous) swim in the sea to spawn (freshwater eels).

Underestimated is typically river fish. No marine fish can compare in taste with properly cooked pike perch, fried carp or crucian carp. Real fish soup is obtained only from river fish, and the most delicious fish cakes are made from pike meat. Pike caviar is also valued. And in general, among river fish, there are really valuable fish!

Names and photos of river fish

Considering that more than 400 different species of fish live in the freshwater reservoirs of our country, not including migratory ones, only the most valuable, famous and popular representatives of them were included in the list. We tried to pick up photos of river fish that most accurately convey the idea of ​​them and their appearance.

Let's move on to our list of fish (the order of fish names is derived by weighted average popularity - the number of mentions in fishing, cooking, literature). Each page displays 5 fish. Use the arrows at the bottom of the list to navigate.

#1 Perch

River perch is a medium-sized predator, a typical inhabitant of most freshwater reservoirs - rivers, reservoirs, ponds and lakes. Sea bass, yellow perch are representatives of other fish species. In reservoirs with representatives of valuable fish, perch is considered a weed fish, in the rest - a cleaner. Large perch is considered to be more than 300 grams in weight. During its lifetime, perch can grow up to half a meter in size and weighing 2 kg.

The perch feeds on juvenile fish, insects and larvae, during the spawning of other fish, eats their caviar. The striped robber is what characterizes the perch best of all.

How to catch perch

Perch is caught on different gear throughout the year. Perch are caught most massively after floods, in early autumn and on the first ice in winter. They catch perch on spinning in the open water season, on spinners and mormyshkas - in winter.

How to cook

Despite the fact that the perch is not of particular commercial value, it is widely used in home cooking. It cannot be said that this is a fish without bones, but there are very few of them. Large perch is smoked and fried, sometimes salted and dried, from different - perch fish soup is boiled. Perch meat is tasty, lean. Those who do not like to mess with perch because of its scales are missing out on a lot.

#2 Pike

Pike is a freshwater predatory fish, an inhabitant of rivers and lakes. The sea pike is called the barracuda. Depending on the reservoir in which it lives, the pike may have different color- lake pikes are brighter and darker than river fish. Being a predator spotted predator acts as a "orderly" of reservoirs - it hunts and eats, first of all, weakened and sick fish.

Occurs in early spring after the water warms up to three to six degrees. Before pike, only burbot spawns.

During its lifetime, a pike can reach a length of one and a half meters and weigh more than 30 kg. Pike more than 9 kg, anglers call "crocodiles". In warm weather, pike are caught on spinning, and in winter - on baubles, spinners and balancers.

How to cook pike

Pike meat is "dry", not fatty - dietary. Due to its boneiness and peculiar taste, pike meat is rarely used for cooking in its pure form. But it is well suited for cooking cutlets and is used in the ear along with fish of other varieties. Salted and lightly salted pike caviar is highly valued.

#3 Pike perch

Pike perch is a predatory river fish of the perch family, but there is also a sea pike perch. This is a large and strong fish up to 18 kg in weight and more than a meter in length. A close relative of pike perch is bersh. Bersh is called the Volga pike perch, but this is not a pike perch - it does not exceed one and a half kilograms and it lacks the fang-shaped teeth that a real pike has.

Pike perch hunts in a flock, going in an organized manner to a place where a lot of juvenile fish gather or shoals pass small fish- sprats and sprats. Spawning of pike perch takes place in the spring, when the water warms up to 12 degrees. After spawning, pike perch does not leave spawning grounds, protecting eggs from "pirates" - perches and other fish that love to eat someone else's caviar.

Pike perch is always a welcome trophy in the catch of any fisherman. By open water walleye are caught on spinning, using the most diverse arsenal of lures. In winter, pike perch is caught on spinners and balancers, on rattlins, on amphipods, jigs for pike perch.

How to cook pike perch

Pike perch is a valuable fish species. Has a high nutritional value, very tasty dietary meat with a high content of easily digestible protein. In addition, pike perch meat contains many useful trace elements and amino acids, some of which are indispensable.

Objectively, zander is one of the most delicious freshwater fish. Pike perch - “fish without bones”, one of the advantages of pike perch meat is the complete absence of small bones in it. The most correct application is fried pike perch or baked.

#4 Burbot

Burbot is a river fish of the burbot family, the only representative of cod-like fish that lives exclusively in fresh water. Burbot does not tolerate warm water, therefore it is more common in temperate water bodies climate zone and north.

Outwardly, burbot looks a bit like a catfish. It has a spotted color, and the color of burbot depends on the transparency, depth, illumination and color of the soil of the water in which it lives. Spawning of burbot occurs in winter, from December to February, depending on geographical location reservoir. In summer, especially in the heat, burbot is not very active.

How to catch

Catching burbot in winter is carried out on winter zherlitsy, on burbot mormyshka or lure. Ruff is used as live bait on the vents - the most favorite prey for burbot. When fishing with a mormyshka, they regularly tap on the bottom, the sound attracts burbots from afar. The bite of burbot is more active at night. In open water, it is caught during cold snaps on bottom gear with replanting a large worm, fry or pieces of fish as bait.

Carp is a fish of the carp family. Carp - domesticated, cultural form carp. An artificially grown carp, falling into a wild reservoir, can normally exist and breed there, but it does not become a carp. Carp is an exceptionally wild carp.

Carp, an omnivorous fish, eats both plant and animal food. In comparison with the carp, the body of the carp is more elongated, the carp is more high-sided. Several types of carps have been bred from the carp - a mirror carp or a royal one - with rows of large scales partially covering the body, and a scaleless carp - completely bare-skinned.

Carp and carp are large and strong fish. Carp grows over a meter in length and can weigh over 20 kg. Prefers bodies of water with calm water. The river carp adheres to places with a weak current, a silty or clay bottom with a shell rock.

Spawning of carp and carp

Preparation for spawning at carp begins in the spring, when the water warms up to 10 degrees. It comes closer to the shores, to spawning grounds - to places rich in aquatic vegetation. Spawning itself (spawning) begins at a water temperature of 18 degrees. Spawning of carp can continue until mid-summer.