New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

💧 Freshwater Least Concern 🐠 Aquarium ⚡ Potential pest 🌡️ Temperate

Eurasian minnow

Phoxinus phoxinus Linnaeus, 1758
Max Length
14 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
11 yrs
Trophic Level
3.2
Depth
-
Climate
Temperate
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
24.00/100
Typical Length
7 cm
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Gregarious . Found in a wide range of cold and well oxygenated habitats from small, fast-flowing streams to large Nordic lowland rivers and from small upland lakes to large oligotrophic lakes. Usually occurs in association with salmonid fishes . Feeds on algae, plant debris (in rivers), mollusks, crustaceans and insects . Spawns over clean gravel areas in flowing water or on wave-washed shores of lakes. Overwinters in coarse substrate or in deep pools with low current . Migrates upstream for spawning in shallow gravel areas. Important laboratory fish, for research on sensory organs of fishes. Mean maximum age is 6 years . Locally threatened due to pollution and excessive stocking of species of Salmo .

Scientific Name
Phoxinus phoxinus
Authority
Linnaeus, 1758
Habitat
Freshwater
Climate
Temperate
Body Shape
Elongated
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
14 cm
Lifespan
11 years
Trophic Level
3.2
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
24.00/100
Migration
Potamodromous
Water Temp
2–20 °C

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6 - 8; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 6 - 8; Vertebrae: 38 - 40. Diagnosed from its congeners in Europe by having lateral line usually reaching beyond anal fin base, a midlateral row of vertically elongated blotches whose depth is about 1/3-1/2 of body depth at same position, often fused in a midlateral stripe (in preserved individuals), caudal peduncle depth 2.6-3.1 times in its length, patches of breast scales separated by unscaled area or (rarely) connected anteriorly by 1-2 rows of scales, snout length 29-34% HL ( 1.1-1.4 times eye diameter), and anal fin origin in front of base of last dorsal ray . Caudal fin with 19 rays .: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Eurasian minnow is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

Spawn Location
Gravel
Size at Maturity
5.2cm TL

Males and females form school separately and arrive on the spawning site at differen times. Spawn over clean gravel areas in flowing water or on wave-washed shores of lakes. Deposit eggs in shallow water on sand or gravel bottom which hatch in 4-5 days at 18°C. Females lay sticky eggs deep into clean gravel .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; brackish; demersal; pH range: 7.0 - 7.5; dH range: 10 - 20; potamodromous . Temperate; 2°C - 20°C ; 73°N - 37°N, 10°W - 179°E North and Baltic Seas, Arctic and northern Pacific Ocean, from Garonne (France) eastward to Anadyr and Amur drainages and Korea; Ireland (possibly introduced), Great Britain northward to 58°N.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
💧 Freshwater 🌿 Brackish ⬇️ Benthic
Migration
Potamodromous
Trophic Level
3.2±0.4
Food Items

algae, plant debris (in rivers), mollusks, crustaceans and insects (Ref

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00708 × L3.14 (TL)
Max TL
14cm
Dorsal Spines
3
Dorsal Rays
7
Anal Spines
3
Anal Rays
7
Vertebrae
39

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Temperature Range
2–20°C
pH Range
7–7.5

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2024

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
24.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.2
Predator
Body Shape
Elongated
Climate Zone
Temperate
Described By
Linnaeus, 1758

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Channel Minnow · Common minnow · Minnow
🌍CES Strevle potocni
🌍CYM Pilcod · pilcodyn
🇩🇰Danish Almindelig elritse · Elrits · Elritse
🇩🇪German Bitterfisch · Blutelritze · Elritze · Maipiere · Pfelle · Pfrille
🌍ELL Κοκκινόγαστρος
🇫🇮Finnish Mutu
🇫🇷French Amarante · Arlequin · Charbonnier · Cippa · Cuzeau · Edling · Garlesco · Grisette · Petit blanc · Sprille · Vairon · Vairon de la Manche · Veirou · Verdou · Voiron · Véricle · Wetling · vairon, véron
🌍GLE Libin
🇭🇺Hungarian Fürge cselle
🇮🇹Italian Sanguinerola
🌍LIT rainė
🌍MKD Zlatica
🇳🇱Dutch Elrits
🌍NNO gorsild · kime · pøyt · simen · ørekyt · blindsild · goløye · gørkyte · åkyte · ålekue
🌍NOB blindsild · goløye · gørkyte · åkyte · ålekue · ørekyt · gorsild · kime · pøyt · simen
🇳🇴Norwegian Orekyte · Ørekyt
🇵🇱Polish Strzebla potokowa
🌍RON Boet · Boisca · Boiste · Boistean · Craesc · Craet · Crai · Scrofita · Verdete · Verzisoara
🇷🇺Russian обыкновенный гольян
🌍SLV Pisanec
🌍SME geadgenoarsa
🇪🇸Spanish Pescardo · Piscardo
🌍SQI Skort pellgjesh
🌍SRP Gagica
🇸🇪Swedish Elritsa · Kvidd · Äling
🌍TUR otbaligi · otbalığı
🌍UKR Гольян звичайний

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 46 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Eurasian minnow ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.