Weatherfish

📖 Overview

Facultative air-breathing ; Found in lower reaches of slow-flowing rivers, but can also be found in still pools , on sandy bottoms of ponds, pools and ditches. Adults are nocturnal which burrow into mud during dry periods and strong frosts. Usually, burrows are 20-30 cm deep, occasionally down to 70 cm during dry periods . During the day, they stay buried in the sand. Feed on insect larvae and small mollusks. Seldom captured with hook and line . Are sensitive to pollutants which accumulate in the sediment . Facultative air-breathers . A female specimen measuring 30.7 cm TL was recorded from Netherlands .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 5 - 6; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 11; Vertebrae: 49 - 50. Broad midlateral stripe from eye to caudal base and narrow stripe from opercle at least to pelvic origin. Lamina circularis absent in males . Caudal fin with 14-16 rays .: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Weatherfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

Male follows female into dense vegetation and forms a complete ring around her body, behind dorsal fin .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; brackish; demersal; potamodromous . Temperate; 4°C - 25°C ; 62°N - 42°N, 15°E - 61°E north of the Alps, from Meuse eastward to Neva drainages and Lake Ladoga; northern Black Sea basin from Danube eastward to Kuban, absent on the southern section; Caspian basin in Volga and Ural drainages.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

🦠 Common Diseases

The following diseases are known to affect Weatherfish.

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 34 records indexed .

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