What kind of fish is found in the Caspian Sea: list, description, interesting facts

The Caspian Sea is not only the largest lake on Earth (yes, since it is not connected to any ocean, it is precisely a lake), but also one of the most productive bodies of water in Russia. There is a huge variety of fish found here. Some of them are caught by commercial methods, while others are generally prohibited from being caught. Therefore, it is not surprising that many fishing enthusiasts would like to know what kind of fish is found in the Caspian Sea. Let's talk about this in more detail.

A little about the Caspian Sea

This body of water is unique from many points of view. Let's start with the fact that the salinity of the water in it changes significantly from north to south. In the north, where the Volga flows into it, the water has a relatively low salt content. But in the south this figure increases significantly - moreover, here the Caspian Sea borders on the saltiest body of water on the planet. It turns out that it is not the Dead Sea at all, as many people think, but Lake Kara-Bogaz-Kol, located in Turkmenistan. If the salinity of water in the Dead Sea is 300 ppm, then in this lake it reaches 310.

Thanks to this variation in salinity, the answer to the question of what kind of fish is found in the Caspian Sea should be a very long one. Here you can find both freshwater and rocks accustomed to highly salty water.

Fishing on the Caspian Sea

Fish species: Caspian lamprey
Russian sturgeon
thorn
Persian sturgeon
sterlet
stellate sturgeon
beluga
river eel
Caspian sea herring
Caspian-Black Sea belly
blackback herring
big-eyed potbellied
Agrakhan paunch
Black Sea-Caspian sprat
anchovy sprat
big-eyed sprat
blue
bream
white-eye
bighead carp
asp
barbel bulat-mai
silver bream
silver crucian carp
shemaya
White amur
carp
silver carp
short-headed barbel
saberfish
kutum
roach
rudd
fisherman
North Asian spined loach
Caspian spined loach
European catfish
pike
nelma
brown trout
South European silverside
Gambusia Holbrook
small southern stickleback
plump-cheeked pipefish
pointy mullet
mullet-singile
ruff
perch
common pike perch
sea pike perch
bersh
duckbill platypus
Caspian goby-asra
Browner bull
Abdurakhmanov's button
Baer button head
Kazakh Pugolovka
spiny-headed frog
grainy button
Grima's button head
Kessler button
Berg's button head
narrow-headed buttonhead
narrow snout
Caspian Pugolovka
Azov Pugolovka
Makhmudbekov's button head
Pinchuk's button
Ragimov's button head
spiny button head
star-shaped button
Svetovidov's button head
caspiosome
Berg bull
goby
bull Ilyin
Knipovich's long-tailed goby
dark spotted whip goby
gray goby (whip goby)
deep sea goby
Khvalynsky goby
sand goby
Caspian goby
messenger goby
round goby
Shirman goby
goby

Artificial introduction: not all of the above fish species in the Caspian Sea are native. About 4 dozen species arrived by accident (for example, through canals from the basins of the Black and Baltic Seas), or were intentionally populated by humans. As an example, it is worth citing mullets. Three Black Sea species of these fish - mullet, sharpnose and singil - were released in the first half of the 20th century. The mullet did not take root, but the mullet and the singil have successfully acclimatized, and by now have settled virtually throughout the entire Caspian waters, forming several commercial herds. At the same time, the fish fatten up faster than in the Black Sea and reach larger sizes. In the second half of the last century (starting from 1962), attempts were also made to introduce such Far Eastern salmon fish as pink salmon and chum salmon into the Caspian Sea. In total, several billion fry of these fish were released into the sea over the course of 5 years. Pink salmon did not survive in the new habitat, chum salmon, on the contrary, successfully took root and even began to enter the rivers flowing into the sea to spawn. However, it was unable to reproduce in sufficient quantities and gradually disappeared. There are still no favorable conditions for its full natural reproduction (there are very few places where spawning and development of fry could successfully occur). To provide them, river reclamation is necessary, otherwise, without human help (artificial collection of eggs and their incubation), the fish will not be able to maintain their numbers.

Fishing spots

In fact, fishing is possible anywhere on the Caspian Sea coast, which can be reached by land or water. What types of fish will be caught depends on local conditions, but to a greater extent on whether the rivers flow here. As a rule, in places where estuaries and deltas are located (especially large watercourses), the water in the sea is greatly desalinated, so freshwater fish (carp, catfish, bream, etc.) usually predominate in the catches; species characteristic of the flowing rivers may also be found. rivers (usachi, shemaya). Of the marine species in desalinated areas, those for which salinity does not matter (mullet, some gobies) are caught. At certain periods of the year, semi-anadromous and anadromous species can be found here, feeding in the sea and entering rivers to spawn (sturgeon, some herrings, Caspian salmon). In places where there are no flowing rivers, freshwater species are found in slightly smaller numbers, but marine fish also appear, usually avoiding desalinated areas (for example, sea pike perch). Away from the coast, fish that prefer salt water and deep-sea species are caught.

Conventionally, we can distinguish 9 places or areas that are interesting in terms of fishing:

Northern Coast (RF) - this site is located on the northern coast of the Russian Federation (from the Volga delta to the Kizlyar Bay). Its main features are low salinity of water (the lowest in the Caspian Sea), shallow depth, the presence of multiple shoals, islands, and highly developed aquatic vegetation. In addition to the Volga delta with its numerous channels, bays and eriks, it also includes the estuary coastal area, called the Caspian Peaks. These places are popular among Russian fishermen, and for good reason: the conditions for fish here are very favorable, and there is also a good food supply. The ichthyofauna in these parts may not shine with a wealth of species, but it is distinguished by its abundance, and some of its representatives reach quite considerable sizes. Typically, the bulk of the catches are freshwater fish typical of the Volga basin. Most often caught: perch, pike perch, roach (more precisely, its varieties called roach and ram), rudd, asp, sabrefish, bream, silver carp, carp, catfish, pike. Somewhat less common are black bream, silver bream, white-eye, and bluegill. Representatives of sturgeons (sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, beluga, etc.) and salmonids (nelma, brown trout - Caspian salmon) are also found in these places, but their fishing is prohibited.
Northwestern coast (RF) - this section covers the western coast of the Russian Federation (from Kizlyar Bay to Makhachkala). The rivers Kuma, Terek and Sulak flow here - they carry their waters both through natural channels and artificial canals. There are bays in this area, some of which are quite large (Kizlyarsky, Agrakhansky). The sea in these places is shallow. Freshwater fish predominate in the catches: pike, perch, carp, catfish, rudd, bream, barbel, etc., and marine species are also caught here, for example, herring (blackback, bellyfish).
West Bank (RF) - from Makhachkala to the Russian border with Azerbaijan. An area where mountain ranges adjoin the sea. The salinity of the water here is slightly higher than in previous places, so marine species are more common in fishermen's catches (sea pike perch, mullet, herring). However, freshwater fish are by no means rare.
West Bank (Azerbaijan) - from the border of the Russian Federation with Azerbaijan along the Absheron Peninsula. Continuation of the area where mountain ranges adjoin the sea. Fishing here is even more similar to typical offshore fishing, with fish such as razorback and mullet and several species of gobies also caught here. In addition to them, there are kutum, herring, and some typically freshwater species, for example, carp.
Southwestern coast (Azerbaijan) - from the Absheron Peninsula to the border of Azerbaijan with Iran. Most of this area is occupied by the Kura River delta. The same types of fish that were listed in the previous paragraph are caught here, but freshwater ones are somewhat more common.
Northern Coast (Kazakhstan) - this section covers the northern coast of Kazakhstan. The Ural delta and the Akzhaiyk state reserve are located here, so fishing directly in the river delta and in some adjacent water areas is prohibited. Fishing can only be done outside the reserve - upstream from the delta, or in the sea - at some distance from it. Fishing near the Ural delta has much in common with fishing at the confluence of the Volga - almost the same species of fish are found here.
North-eastern coast (Kazakhstan) - from the mouth of the Emba to Cape Tyub-Karagan. Unlike the northern part of the sea, where the water is greatly diluted by large rivers flowing in, its salinity here increases slightly, so those species of fish appear that avoid desalinated areas, for example, sea pike perch, which is fished in Dead Kultuk Bay. Also, other representatives of marine fauna are often found in the catches.
Eastern coast (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan) - from Cape Tyub-Karagan to the border of Turkmenistan and Iran. It is distinguished by the almost complete absence of flowing rivers. The salinity of the water here is at its maximum. Of the fish in these places, marine species predominate; the bulk of the catches are mullet, sea pike perch and gobies.
South Coast (Iran) - covers the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Throughout this section, the Elborz mountain range adjoins the sea. Many rivers flow here, most of which are small streams, there are also several medium-sized and one large river. Of the fish, in addition to marine species, there are also some freshwater, as well as semi-anadromous and anadromous species, for example, sturgeon.

Fishing Features

The most popular and catchy amateur tackle used on the Caspian coast is a heavy spinning rod, converted into a “sea bottom”. It is usually equipped with a durable reel on which a fairly thick fishing line (0.3 mm or more) is wound. The thickness of the fishing line is determined not so much by the size of the fish, but by the mass of a fairly heavy sinker, which is necessary for ultra-long casting (in the Caspian Sea it is widely believed that the farther from the shore the casting point is, the better). After the sinker comes a thinner line - with several leashes. The bait used is shrimp and amphipods that live in coastal algae thickets - if you plan to catch sea fish, or ordinary bait like a worm, chafer larvae and others - if there are freshwater species in the fishing area.

At the mouths of inflowing rivers, other gear can be used, such as a float rod, feeder and traditional spinning rod.

What kind of fish lives here?

According to experts who tell us what types of fish are found in the Caspian Sea, this list is very large - 141 species. Here you can find both tiny buttonfish, the largest of which are no longer than a matchstick, and huge belugas. These are the largest representatives of freshwater fish, the weight of which can reach 2 tons and a length of 9 meters. It was in the Caspian Sea that a female beluga was caught in 1924, and 246 kilograms of caviar were found in her stomach.

Most fish species (about 120) are “old-timers”, that is, they came here naturally, took root and reproduce successfully. Moreover, five of them are endemic, that is, they are not found anywhere else in the world! Finding themselves in new, unusual conditions, their distant descendants were forced to change in order to survive. This is how completely unique fish appeared, living only in an extremely limited area.

In addition, more than 20 species of fish were introduced here artificially. Favorable living conditions and year-round warm water have led to the fact that they grow quickly and actively reproduce, representing serious interest for many fishermen.

And now, in order for the reader to better understand what kind of fish is found in the Caspian Sea, we will tell you about each of these groups in more detail.

Pisces "old-timers"

This is the most numerous category of fish. If we were to list what kind of fish is found in the Caspian Sea, the list would be truly impressive - almost 120 species.

They came here from different places and at different times. For example, some ended up in the lake at the time of its formation - about 70 million years ago. This includes gobies (Berg, Knipovich and others) and herring (bellied, Brazhnikovskaya, golovach and others). Some of them live in salt water all year round, while others go to spawn at the mouth of the Volga or even go upstream along the river to spawn in calm backwaters.

Others got here much later - already in the post-glacial period. These are nelma, whitefish and brown trout. They usually live exclusively in cold water, being an arctic species. But once in the warm water of the Caspian Sea, they not only took root, but also changed significantly compared to their relatives, mainly becoming larger and more fertile.

There are quite a lot of fish that are usually exclusively freshwater, but when they get into salt water they manage to adapt and survive. These are pike perch, barbel, catfish, asp, grass carp, asp, as well as sturgeon, stellate sturgeon and beluga. In general, if you are interested in what kind of red fish is found in the Caspian Sea, this list can be expanded. After all, several species of salmon also live here. In general, this body of water is a place of serious concentration of sturgeon - almost 80% of the individuals living on the globe live here!

Fishes of the Caspian Sea

> What to catch > Other fish > Caspian fish

The ichthyofauna of the Caspian Sea is very diverse, this also applies to the species composition and lifestyle of Caspian fish.
For example, characteristics such as mass and length show that Lilliputians and giants exist in this giant salt lake. The well-known giant of the fish world, the beluga, lives here, as well as tiny buttonheads belonging to the family of goby fish, some species are smaller in size than the matchstick. In a word, the fish of the Caspian Sea
are very diverse and are of great interest to fishing enthusiasts and for industrial fishing.

The largest fish that live in the Caspian Sea include beluga, stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, salmon, sturgeon, and white fish. Large catfish, pike, carp, silver carp, pike perch, and grass carp are often caught here.

Reliable information has been preserved that some fish in the Caspian Sea had an enormous length of 5-6 meters and weighed a ton or more. And back in 1924, in the Volga delta near the village of Biryuchya Kosa, they caught a huge female beluga, whose weight was 1228 kg, one caviar in the beluga was 246 kg. And already in 1937, in the Caspian Sea off the coast of Azerbaijan, a male beluga whose weight was 1005 kg was caught in nets. Beluga

, is the largest fish in the Caspian Sea.

Sturgeon

, is inferior in size and weight to the beluga, the largest individuals generally have a length of 2-2.2 m and a weight of 70-80 kg. So in 1980, a sturgeon weighing 76 kg and 2.15 m long was caught in the Lower Volga. The sturgeon was 38 years old.

Stellate sturgeon

: This fish is somewhat smaller in size than beluga or sturgeon. The largest specimens have a mass of 40-55 kg and a length of 2-2.15 m, however, the weight of this fish can be more than 65 kg. So on the Kura River in 1916, a sturgeon was caught, which weighed 68 kg. And in 1980, a sturgeon weighing just over 40 kg and 1.85 cm long was caught in the Caspian Sea.

Not so long ago, although not often, Caspian salmon

, about 1.2 m long, and weighing 20 kg.
It is known from older sources that at the very beginning of the 20th century salmon weighing 45-50 kg were caught. You should know that the largest of the European salmon is the Caspian salmon. As for such a species as whitefish
, it also belongs to the salmon family and at the age of 7-10 years, it can have a mass of 12-15 kg and a length of 1.2-1.4 m.

Pike

has important commercial significance in the Caspian basin. Pike weighing 12-16 kg can still be caught in the Volga delta today. And although some fishermen claim that today there are few large pike in the waters of the Lower Volga, this is not true, although such large individuals that were caught 30 years ago can be found very rarely today. And this is due to the intensive fishing of this predator.

Zander

, a very valuable commercial species in the Caspian Sea. However, in recent years the number of this predator has decreased, for the same reason that the number of pike has decreased. The weight of the largest individuals caught in this region is 7-8 kg, and the length is from 0.8 m to 0.95 m. On average, pike perch weighing 1.2-1.8 kg is caught.

Previously, very large catfish were caught in the Volga delta, but today large catfish are caught less and less often. Previously, catching a catfish weighing 90-100 kg and 1.5-2.0 m long was not uncommon, but today such catches are quite rare. However, catfish

weighing 40-60 kg, and today often pleases anglers.

Endemic species

The list of endemic breeds is significantly smaller. Which is not surprising - such living organisms are generally extremely rare. That is why they should be taken care of especially carefully.

This group includes the Caspian spined loach, the spiny-headed goby, as well as the Caspian bighead goby. Surprisingly, you can only see these fish in the Caspian Sea - they do not live in any other body of water on planet Earth! And even here their habitat is usually very limited - they occupy a small niche in relatively small areas.

Fishes of the Caspian Sea

The world of fish in the Caspian Sea is surprisingly diverse. This applies to both their appearance and lifestyle. Let's take at least two most important characteristics - length and mass - and we will see that among the fish there are giants and midgets. Both of them live in the Caspian Sea. There is also beluga - the largest freshwater fish on the globe, and tiny little fish from the goby family - Gobiidae (some of them are smaller than an ordinary matchstick). The length and weight of fish of each species are determined by hereditary factors, but the conditions of the aquatic environment (temperature, amount of food) can also affect the growth pattern, modifying it. Determining the maximum size of a fish, as well as its possible lifespan, is not an easy task. Very few fish survive to what is called natural death. Throughout their lives, especially at a young age, they are at risk of death from unfavorable factors in the aquatic environment, predators, and diseases. Some fish, such as lamprey or salmon in the Kura, die from exhaustion after spawning. In commercial species, life expectancy is limited by catch. That is why large and old fish are very rare and always attract attention.

New arrivals

In Soviet times, a series of experiments were carried out on the resettlement of certain species of fish from other bodies of water to the Caspian Sea - mainly the Mediterranean Sea, which was similar in temperature and salinity of water. This is how the singil sharpnose, Black Sea flounder, needle fish, and some others got into the Caspian Sea. They look completely different - photos illustrating what kind of fish is found in the Caspian Sea will allow the reader to see this.

Suitable living conditions, combined with the absence of usual predators, allowed them to confidently gain a foothold, displace the old-timers, and even become the main source of commercial prey.

Fishing Features

Fishing on the Caspian coast of the Russian Federation has its own characteristics. In each region, the coastal waters and the coast itself are somewhat different from each other. If the coastal part of Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region is somewhat similar and is replete with shallow floods overgrown with reeds and other aquatic vegetation, then the coast of Dagestan is distinguished by the presence of more convenient places for coastal fishing. In the case of fishing in the Volga delta and in the reed bays of Kalmykia, the presence of boats is almost a mandatory requirement. This is due to both intensive aquatic vegetation and shallow water. As for Dagestan, there are excellent conditions for fishing from the shore, both with bottom and float gear, and with spinning rods. In all cases, the most successful fishing is geographically tied to river mouths. This rule applies to all regions of the Caspian coast. It is worth noting that due to the size of the waters, on your first trip it is worth using the services of experienced guides and fishermen. The coast of the Caspian Sea, along with the Lower Volga, is traditionally popular among residents of European Russia and therefore there are a lot of different recreational facilities here. Local fishing organizers offer various leisure options. This could be a cruise ship with full board or a campsite on the shore of a reservoir. An important factor in favor of using the services of experienced guides and tour organizers is the fact that large coastal areas are difficult to navigate. When organizing a trip, do not forget that the Caspian Sea is home to rare and prohibited fish species. Before fishing, it is important to familiarize yourself with the rules of recreational fishing in the region.