Tench
📖 Overview
Typically found in shallow, densely vegetated lakes and backwaters. They often overwinter buried in mud. Larvae and juveniles confined to dense vegetation . Adults inhabit warm lakes and pools with weed and mud bottom. Tolerates low oxygen saturations . Feeds on detritus, benthic animals and plant materials. Adult often prey mainly on molluscs. They spawn among dense vegetation in still water . Used as a fodder fish for bass . Utilized fresh and frozen; eaten pan-fried, broiled, and baked . Popular with amateur sport fishers. Flesh is highly esteemed . Locally under threat due to river engineering . Reported to reach a maximum length of 84 cm TL .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 4; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal spines: 3 - 4; Anal soft rays: 6 - 8; Vertebrae: 39 - 41. Body thickset, heavy, and laterally compressed, the caudal peduncle characteristically deep and short. Skin thickened, slimy; the scales small, embedded. Overall coloration olive-green, at times dark green or almost black, with golden reflections on ventral surface. Head triangular, eye orange-red, small; snout relatively long; interorbital broad; mouth terminal, small in size with thick lips and a pair of well-developed barbels, one at each corner of the mouth. Caudal fin with 19 rays . Diagnosed from other cyprinid species in Europe by the following characters: body golden greenish brown; one pair of barbel (maxillary); lateral line with 96-115 scales, small and deeply embedded; dorsal fin with 8-9½ branched rays; and anal fin with 6-9½ branched rays .: fusiform / normal.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Tench is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Tench is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Males reproduce at 2-3 years and females at 3-7 years. Spawning happens, depending on latitude, between May and September, at temperatures of 19 20°C. Lays numerous sticky green eggs on plants or on the botton every 1 5 days for 2 months. Incubation at 20°C lasts 3 days. Larvae remain attached to the plants for several days until the vitellus is used up. Egg size 0.8-1.0 mm, larval length at hatching 4-5 mm.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Freshwater; brackish; demersal; potamodromous ; depth range 1 - ? m . Temperate; 4°C - 24°C ; 64°N - 36°N, 10°W - 104°E north of 61°30'N, eastern Adriatic basin and western and southern Greece where it is now introduced.
🌿 Ecology
detritus, benthic animals and plant materials
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Tench is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 18.7 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 696 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Tench has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Doctor Fish · Eurasian Tench · Tench · Green Tench |
| 🌍AFR | Seelt |
| 🇸🇦Arabic | التنش |
| 🌍AZE | Lilbalıq |
| 🌍BAK | Ҡарабалыҡ |
| 🌍BEL | Лінь |
| 🌍BOS | Linjak |
| 🌍BUL | Лин |
| 🌍CES | Lín obecný |
| 🌍CHV | Хура карас |
| 🌍CYM | Sgretenod · sgreten |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Suder |
| 🇩🇪German | Alia · Schlei · Schleie · Schleih · Schlien · Slia |
| 🌍ELL | Γλήνι · Γλίνι · Γλυνί · Λασπόψαρο · Χρυσόψαρο |
| 🌍EPO | Tinko |
| 🌍EST | Linask |
| 🌍FAS | لایماهی |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | Suutari |
| 🇫🇷French | Aiguillons · Schleie · Tanche · Tenco · Tinche · tanch |
| 🌍FRY | Mûdhûn |
| 🌍GLE | Curaman |
| 🇭🇷Croatian | Linjak |
| 🇭🇺Hungarian | Compó |
| 🌍IDO | Tencho |
| 🌍ISL | Grunnungur |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Tinca |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | テンチ |
| 🌍KAT | გუწუ · ლოქორია |
| 🌍KAZ | Оңғақ |
| 🌍LAV | Līnis |
| 🌍LIT | Paprastasis lynas · lynas |
| 🌍MKD | Linis |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Zeelt |
| 🌍NNO | suter |
| 🌍NOB | suter |
| 🇳🇴Norwegian | Sudre · Suter |
| 🇵🇱Polish | Lin |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Tenca · Tinca |
| 🌍RON | Lin · Tenca |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Линь обыкновенный · линь |
| 🌍SLK | Lieň sliznatý |
| 🌍SLV | Linj |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Tenca |
| 🌍SQI | Linë · lina |
| 🌍SRP | Linjak |
| 🇸🇪Swedish | Lindare · Sutare |
| 🌍TAT | Карабалык |
| 🌍TUR | Kadife baligi · Yesil sazan · kadife balığı |
| 🌍UKR | Лин · Лин звичайний · Лин озерний |
| 🌍VIE | Cá hanh |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 丁鱥 · 丁鱥科 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyprinus tinca | Linnaeus | 1758 | Homotypic |
| Cyprinus tinca auratus | Bloch | 1782 | Synonym |
| Cyprinus tincaauratus | Bloch | 1782 | Synonym |
| Cyprinus tincaurea | Shaw | 1804 | Synonym |
| Cyprinus zeelt | Lacepède | 1803 | Synonym |
| Leuciscus communis | Swainson | 1839 | Synonym |
| Tinca aurea | Gmelin | 1788 | Heterotypic |
| Tinca chrysitis | Fitzinger | 1832 | Synonym |
| Tinca communis | Swainson | 1839 | Synonym |
| Tinca italica | Bonaparte | 1836 | Synonym |
| Tinca limosa | Koch | 1840 | Synonym |
| Tinca linnei | Malm | 1877 | Synonym |
| Tinca vulgaris | Valenciennes | 1842 | Synonym |
| Tinca vulgaris cestellae | Segre | 1904 | Synonym |
| Tinca vulgaris maculata | Costa | 1838 | Heterotypic |
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 51 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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