What kind of fish is Marinka and where is it found: description with photo

Amazing Marinka fish

The dexterous and fast marinka belongs to the carp family, but due to its similar lifestyle and behavior it is often called the trout’s sister.

This fish is found in Central and Central Asia, common in Kazakhstan, and sometimes found in Ukraine and the European part of Russia. Its habitat is rivers and lakes.

Moreover, Marinka lives in almost any conditions. It is caught in large lowland and small mountain rivers, cold streams, springs among rocky cliffs, on fast riffles and in miniature lakes.

In Asia, marinka fills almost all existing bodies of water.

Marinka structure

The appearance of an inhabitant of fast currents immediately reveals that he is a strong, swift swimmer with an excellently developed sense of smell and a bottom-based type of feeding. Distinctive features of the marina fish's exterior include:

• muscular, elongated body of slightly oval cross-section;
• a strong sloping back of gray, dark brown or chestnut color (the color is influenced by the habitat);
• large olive green head;
• well developed two pairs of whiskers;
• downward-facing mouth with fleshy lips and a lunate lower jaw;
• pale silver, creamy yellow, bronze or grass-ash color of the sides;
• light belly;
• dense small scales covered with thick mucus;
• elongated caudal peduncle;
• orange iris;
• high triangular fin with a spine.

Marinka fish belongs to the class of six-rayed subfamily of split-bellied fish (Schizothoracinae), therefore it has a unique physiological feature (“split”), which is a fringing of large scales (15-29 pieces) around the anus.

The closest relatives of the genus (Schizothorax) are the Ottomans (Diptychus) or the pseudo-Ottomans (Schizopygopsis). The latter, due to their strong attachment to high-mountain rivers, received an additional official name - the Highlanders.

In turn, the popular nicknames of Marinka are associated with tender milky meat, silvery sides, a light belly - “akbalyk” (white) and a dark film covering the inner surface of the peritoneum - “karabalyk” (black) fish. In addition, the species has another common name - “sharmai” (from Kazakh “ball” - round, “may” - oil), which appeared due to its torpedo-shaped body and thick slippery mucus on the scales, facilitating rapid movement in rapids.

To learn more:

Bream: description of fish, habitat and habits

Features of fish

Marinka prefers clear, running water. This is a very nimble swimmer - it can often be seen at small waterfalls, which it overcomes with ease.

Residents of Asian countries use marinka to purify water.

It is launched into wells, where it quickly destroys:

• leeches;
• all kinds of crustaceans;
• unnecessary vegetation.

It is widely used as food. However, despite the excellent taste of fatty and tender meat, eating improperly cooked fish can lead to severe poisoning. The fact is that its eggs, belly membrane and gills are poisonous.

This is due to the high concentration of toxins that are released to maintain the fish population and have the most powerful toxic effect during the spawning period. Before preparing marinka, these parts must be carefully removed.

The nutritional value

Meat is eaten after removing poisonous and dangerous parts. You can use both small and large fish; This fish tastes better if its diet is based on plant foods. The meat is tender, fatty, and has a pleasant taste. Easy to digest. Can be used in the diet.

100 g contains 88 kcal. Of these, 2 g are fats, 17.5 are protein. The amount of carbohydrates is low. The product contains a large number of substances useful for the proper functioning of the human body: fluorine, chromium, molybdenum, zinc, nickel, sulfur, chlorine. In addition, the composition includes vitamin PP.

Structure

The fish is distinguished by an elongated body, covered with small scales, which become larger near the caudal fin.

The upper part of Marinka's body is light cream or gray. Towards the lower part of the sides the shade gradually darkens, becoming black on the abdominal cavity.

However, due to different habitats, the color of the fish may also change. Sometimes there is a light yellow and orange marinka with a greenish head.

At the top of the fish’s mouth and in its corners there are small but noticeable whiskers. There are four of them in total.

Most often, marinkas measuring 20–25 cm in size are caught, but large specimens reaching half a meter in length are also caught. Large specimens can weigh up to several kilograms.

Habitats

Lakes and rivers located in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Central and Central Asia are the main habitat of marinka fish. The size of the reservoir and its transparency are not particularly important for this fish. One of the main conditions for its comfortable stay in a body of water is the presence of at least a slight current and the relative coolness of the water in it.

Marinka prefers the following places in a pond:

• under the bushes;
• behind the boulders;
• in gullies off the coast;
• under stones;
• in whirlpools;
• in whirlpools;
• in the pits;
• in gullies and ledges near waterfalls;
• in the riffles.

Types of marinas

There are four of them. Each species has different feeding preferences and habitat.

Common marinka

Its length rarely exceeds 1 meter, and its weight varies from 300 grams. up to several kilograms. The food of this fish is very diverse: it can feast on both fry of its own kind and algae.

This is the most common type of marinka, found almost everywhere in Asia.

Ili Marinka

This is the largest species. It reaches a length of 1 meter, and its weight can be 10–12 kg. A distinctive feature is a large, disproportionate head.

This predatory fish lives in the Ili River and the Kapchagai Reservoir. Its last catch dates back to the mid-70s. There were no subsequent catches.

The Ilyinskaya marinka is listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan, however, there is a possibility that it no longer exists in nature. Currently, they are trying to breed this species artificially.

Balkhash Marinka

It lives in Turkmenistan, most often in the brackish water of Balkhash and river mouths.

It is not very large, its length rarely exceeds 40 cm. It is distinguished by large scales and a small mouth with short antennae.

The main food of this fish is vegetation, so its meat is less tasty than that of other species.

Pike-shaped marinka

This is a predatory fish that feeds mainly on small individuals of its own kind. It is found in the rivers of Turkmenistan, and in appearance and size is practically no different from the common marinka.

Features of Marinka

This nimble fish prefers clean, flowing water, so most often it can be seen on small rapids and waterfalls; it overcomes them with ease. Local residents have found an original way to use marinka for their own purposes. This omnivorous fish is used to clean wells - it quickly and happily destroys all kinds of crustaceans, leeches and various vegetation there. Fish is also widely used as food.

This is where its main feature lies. The fact is that Marinka fish is poisonous. More precisely, not all fish are poisonous, but only the gills, caviar and the black film lining the inner surface of the belly. To avoid poisoning, you need to carefully remove these parts before cooking. Despite the fact that Marinka fish is poisonous (photo below), its meat is very tasty, tender and quite fatty, so learning how to properly cook this fish is a truly worthwhile endeavor.

Where to catch marinka?

In winter, on rivers with strong currents, this fish prefers to hide in the bottom layers of water.
It can be found in the estuarine areas of rivers, where the depth is greater and the current is weaker. On lakes it lives in quiet pools.

In the summer, Marinka goes to rapids. It is often caught in the lower reaches of rivers, behind piles of stones.

She likes to settle in gullies, between stones and bushes. There Marinka, hiding, waits for prey.

To catch this cunning and cautious fish, the hunter will have to hide in the selected fishing areas, maintaining the strictest silence and carefully throwing the bait.

Often on mountain rivers you can spend the whole day on your feet, constantly moving in search of fish spots.

Eating in nature

The common marinka is an omnivorous red grouse.

She does not disdain small minnows and loaches, but most of her diet consists of invertebrates:

• worms;
• caddis and honeydew larvae;
• various aquatic beetles;
• aerial insects.

It also eats almost any vegetation:

• thread;
• water grass;
• detritus flakes.

At the same time, the growth rate of the fish is slow. In the first year of life, marinka reaches a size of only 5–6 cm.

Appearance and habits

The fish is fast, agile, nimble. Its behavioral features are reminiscent of trout. In many areas it is considered a trash fish that is not in demand among fishermen. Males predominate over females (up to 70%).

Due to its poisonous meat, many birds and fish cannot eat marinka, which reduces the number of natural enemies.

The diet is based on invertebrates: insects, larvae, worms. It can also eat plant foods: algae, detritus, filamentous underwater plants. Representatives of other species of fish or fry of their own relatives can be consumed as food, but this happens much less frequently.

In Asian countries, it is used to purify well water from leeches, small crustaceans and vegetation.

Spawns from April-May to July-August, the time period depends on the variety. Plains inhabitants spawn earlier than those living in cooler mountain rivers. To start spawning, the water temperature in the reservoir must increase to +13...+14°C.

River species move upstream to the upper reaches. They can rise to a height of 2000−2500 m above sea level. They prefer shallow, light areas for spawning. The depth should not exceed 1−2 m, the bottom is rocky or pebbly. The areas are small in size, with running water.

At a time, the female lays from 3,000 to 35,000 eggs. They are then fertilized by the male. After 2-3 minutes, the sticky bottom eggs peel off from the surface and are carried along the river bottom with the current.

Individual eggs end up in backwaters, under stones. There they mature for about 7 days, after which the fry appear. Marina is a fish with poisonous eggs; eating this product is dangerous.

After spawning, adult individuals slide downstream to their usual habitats. Males reach sexual maturity at 2-3 years, females later, at 3-4 years.

The fry grow slowly. During the first year, their size increases by only 6-7 cm.

Tackle for marinka

A wide variety of equipment is used to catch this fish.

Most often people choose for fishing:

• fishing rod with float;
• spinning rod with a wire reel and guide rings;
• donku;
• a snack.

In order not to stand right next to the water and not to scare the cautious fish, which can clearly see a person from clear water, choose a long rod - up to 7 meters.

The fishing line you will need is not thick (up to 0.4 mm). 2 hooks under No. 5 are attached to it, leaving long leashes. Their optimal length is 30 cm.

The sinker is selected depending on the depth of the reservoir, which can be controlled using a piece of insulating tape wrapped around the fishing line.

It is better to use blue or red color - it will not scare away, but, on the contrary, will attract fish that are accustomed to feeding on butterflies that have fallen into the pond.

You can use a five-gram float, but you can also easily do without it.

What does Marinka bite on?

This omnivorous fish, depending on the time of year, bites on a wide variety of baits.

in spring

During and after spawning, she is not picky about food.

Most often used to catch it:

• crickets;
• all kinds of bugs;
• unripe peach pieces;
• melon.

Advice! It is better to obtain animal bait on the banks of the same body of water where you are supposed to fish. They can be easily found under rocks and in coastal vegetation.

In summer

In the warm season, Marinka is better off eating plant foods:

• bread;
• mulberries;
• cherry;
• grape.

Small and bright berries especially attract fish.

in autumn

As the weather gets colder, the predator instinct awakens in the fish, and it happily feasts on animal bait:

• caddisfly;
• maggot;
• red small worm.

Marinka of the Zeravshan Range

PHOTO: OMNISLASH/DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM
Buntings flutter like light balls from one almond bush to another, which at this time disguise themselves as safe plants, strewing the thorny branches with pink foam of flowers. From the pile of stones in the lower reaches of every second sai one can hear the monotonous muffled chattering of hoopoes arriving from wintering grounds. Overhead, golden bee-eaters tear the air with sharp cries, circling over hollows and slopes, gradually shifting to the north. Spring! A real Asian mountain spring!

My arrival in Samarkand coincided with this wonderful time of year. After a long break, the first trips to pick mushrooms allowed me to restore my mountain walking skills. But after ten days, one-day walks lost much of their appeal and no longer brought the feeling of complete immersion in the natural environment. I wanted to leave more in my memory: solitude by the river, fishing, a night fire not far from the tent, collecting medicinal plants and, of course, shooting new landscapes from different angles and different lighting. Therefore, a call from Muhammadi, a fellow mountaineer, about the beginning of the summer hiking season in the upper reaches of the Okhalik tract immediately lifted my spirits. The permanent base for our company for more than ten years during the warm season has been an “island” - a piece of land in the floodplain of the Akdarya River, bounded on all sides by water. The main channel runs around it in an arc from the east, and the string of this water bow is a channel that connects in a straight line the bend of the river in high-water years. The area of ​​the “promised land” is about five hundred square meters, located at an altitude of one thousand one hundred meters above sea level. A characteristic feature of the area is a small spur from the top of Kemkutan, which has a stone pyramid on its ascending edge, or, in our terminology, the “Dragon’s Tooth”.

From a telephone conversation it turned out that two days earlier two comrades had gone to the “island”: Shurik-aka and Volodya-aka. And yesterday, having climbed some slope that was open to telephone waves in the Zeravshan valley, Volodya got through to Muhammadi. In addition to asking us to bring a cauldron (to replace the one carried away by the river) and four batteries for the radio, he said that by our arrival they had already collected a large bag of mushrooms and caught about five kilograms of marinka, which they kept alive in a cage on the stream. As additional information, it was said that the fish bite excellently and recklessly. After hearing the news, I was excited about the upcoming opportunity to try out my new concept of catching marinka. In all large streams and small rivers of the Zeravshan Range, this is the only type of fish. I still have fresh memories of the times when the weight of this inhabitant of the purest and coldest waters was two hundred grams! - was not considered a record. Well, to catch marinkas with a double fish soup for four eaters, and with a float rod, an hour of time was enough for a skilled fisherman.

Few people know that the marinka in many mountain watercourses of the Zeravshan Valley is a forced isolate, that is, a descendant of the once single population of this species of fish from the stormy and cold Zeravshan. In very, very ancient times, when the combined waters of the streams of numerous sais reached the main river of the valley, the marinka entered the upper reaches along them to lay eggs. But years came when the water of rivers and streams, taken for irrigation, merged less and less with the flow of the gold-bearing Zeravshan. The connection between the large river and most of its tributaries was interrupted. Fortunately, Marinka turned out to be a very flexible species and was able to adapt to changing conditions. Of course, the conditions also affected the fish. In general, it became smaller and the yellowish tones in its color weakened, but the white began to play magnificently, glittering with silver in clear water.

In the Okhalik tract, since ancient times, the Akdarya began to play the role of a mother river, and the springs and streams of its drainage basin turned out to be tributaries, acting as “maternity hospitals”, where all subsequent generations of the marinka now receive a start in life. I love mountain marinka. For resistance to external natural factors, especially violent in the spring. For her ability to revive any stream, even the shallowest in depth, with her sparkling run from stone to stone. Finally, for the pleasure that I experience when catching it under a waterfall, between the stones, where clean streams foam and run into the pool.

I deliberately left the description of my love for marinka as the main component of fish soup until last. Cooking this royal dish makes it possible to enjoy the muffled sound of the river, a dark heavenly tent with a mass of small and large bright stars of the south, and the fragrant smoke of a fire created by cherry plum, poplar, willow, and hawthorn branches.

In shallow running water, a living marinka is like a shadow from a fold of sand in the current or a slightly curved sunken stick that suddenly moved to the side and, swirling small particles of quartz and spar, disappeared against the background of the stone. The agile and agile fish often stays in holes behind stones. She also loves a moderate stream along the shore, which, with its constant work, has washed away the edge and, having reached a solid substrate, constantly carries some food from the upper reaches under the overhanging shore. Marinka loves to hide under fallen trees, swept away by the flood and stuck on the “stone teeth” along the river bed. Here, anything is suitable for camouflage: a trunk with roots licked by stormy streams, branches above a hole, where even a desperate fisherman would not dare to poke his nose with a net or his hands.

Aktashsai remained behind, and the path began to descend to Akdarya. The spring river was full of water, but that was not what struck us. It was as if she had lost some of her stones. The old familiar crossing did not exist. A slightly muddy stream ran along a bed, the bottom of which was covered with coarse-grained, washed yellow sand, from which the tops of stones barely peeked out here and there.

Going down to the river, I stuck my hand into the water. According to my feelings, the temperature could be about ten degrees. Based on this, wading to the other side, even if not in deep water, seemed doubtful. Muhammad suggested the route along the upper path. This is a path on our side of the river, but three hundred meters higher to the ridge. He justified the proposal by saying that we would walk along long untrodden paths. The comrade agreed. To be honest, I didn’t want to go into the water so early. The sun had just appeared over Kemkutan. Yes, and the situation had to be thought through.

This is necessary! Familiar with all the twists and turns to any tributary, the Akdarya is clogged with sand. Climbing up the upper path, which diagonally crossed Kemkutan from north to southeast, I learned from my partner that the downpour on April 17 was marked by an unusually high flood along the Akdarya riverbed. According to eyewitnesses, among whom was Volodya-aka, the height of the mudflow in the narrow places of the floodplain exceeded two meters. This is the answer why there is so much sand in the river. Bushes and entire trees, washed away and caught on coastal stones and rocks during this flood, confirmed what was said. Some sapling trees lay on the slope at a three-meter mark from the current water level.

But spring is spring. Nature seemed to be in a hurry to correct, to cover up the recent destruction. On the slopes to the streams, bunches of eremurus leaves stretched uncontrollably from the sandy soil, and the shoots of young ferulas, ready to unfurl large patterned leaves, powerfully bulged into the sky. Almost everywhere along the ravine of the sai one could feel the suffocating and at the same time delightful fragrance of hawthorns, forming white groves due to the abundance of open flowers.

We quickly and comfortably covered the slopes of Ailantsai, two short Kemkutan slopes, and Kattasay. And an hour later we reached our destination. From the upper path we looked around the familiar floodplain, where a silver poplar rose above the channel. A good landmark above on the left and side, on the southeastern edge, is the “Dragon’s Tooth”. Under the rays of the sun close to noon, the water of the river glistens, making a wide arc in this place. One can see comrades sitting by the fireplace, a stone hut built by their hands among massive stone pebbles. They knew that we had to arrive in time, and therefore kept the upper and lower paths under surveillance. We go down the hollow, ford the river and soon we are shaking hands with the “natives”.

Of course, first the news, general conversations. The first lunch of this season is almost ready on such a familiar spot under the hawthorn, which has not yet thought of blooming. Here, higher above sea level, it is cooler, especially at night, and spring is delayed. We are invited to the table, but Shurik, unable to bear it, goes to the river with a rod in his hands and after two or three minutes appears with a marinka struggling on the fishing line. Focus and nothing more! Lunch is postponed indefinitely, and Muhamadi, quickly setting up the gear, rushes to the water. I'll join a little later. Here, in the riverbed, there is also plenty of sand, but the steeper slope along which the river moves prevents it from settling in the stream. And everywhere there is fish brought from the upper reaches by the mudflow, fish distributed almost throughout Akdarya, fish wanting to find shelter at least for some time. And there are few shelters, considering that only the tops of the rocks in the river stick out from the sand. For the inhabitants of the stream that have scales, the situation is very difficult.

You throw the bait to a large pebble in the middle of the river, and one or a couple of marinas run away from it downstream or upstream, only to cling to a similar stone side after a few meters or, having overcome a sandy riffle, slide down under the trunk of a submerged willow. Everything becomes clear.

Shurik, who had been fishing to his heart's content the day before, takes the fish out of the fish tank, cleans it and begins to fry it in the cauldron we brought. Muhammadi and I spend an hour making our fishing dreams come true. My friend's fishing is more successful than mine. The most prosaic and common bait at all latitudes is the earthworm. No, Marinka also takes exotic baits at different times in different seasons. So, a little later, during the ripening of mulberries, this will be the number one product that large fish will not miss. And the mass appearance of young Orthoptera will determine the priorities of the queen of mountain streams for a long time. But we started with worms brought from the city. Muhammadi uses a three-meter telescopic rod equipped with a fishing line of the smallest diameter, with a two-gram sinker at the end and a ten-centimeter leader with a No. 2 or No. 3 hook. The float is raised to the top of the rod and is not involved in the action. For a fisherman, the main thing in modern fishing is to be careful in approaching the water and control the pull of the fishing line. A light sinker is naturally pulled by the current along the bottom; you have to repeat casts several times until the result is achieved. But that's what fishing is for.

I'm trying to fish with a small spinning rod equipped with a small inertial reel. The line has a light float, a light sinker and a hook measuring from tip to shank 3 mm. The bait is a worm. This is the tactic. I stand higher than the section of the river I like, throw the bait onto the stream and float it to the intended place five, seven, or even ten meters. If the tackle is dragged through the water in the wrong place, I reel it in and let it go again. The depth from the float to the bait is twenty to twenty-five centimeters. We failed to catch up with Volodya and Shurik in terms of the number and size of trophies they caught, but four marinas from Muhammadi and two from me raised our spirits. A camp table, the top of which was a flat stone, was waiting for us. Lunch imperceptibly turned into dinner, and getting accustomed to the nature of mountainous spring Uzbekistan was quite successful. And if you consider that this was only the first day, then the next two are easy to imagine. Photos won't let you lie.

Igor Ponomarev April 3, 2021 at 03:52 pm

Lures for mountain fishing

In large and small mountain rivers with strong currents, the marinka becomes a real predator. Here, invertebrates and insects found on the banks are often used to catch it.

Dropsy

This greenish larva hides in the mud under coastal bushes. It is difficult to collect a large amount of this bait, however, it is perfectly preserved in a wet cloth and is a favorite delicacy of the mountain marinka.

Quite large individuals are often caught with it. In addition, the larva holds perfectly on the hook.

Sometimes local residents sell larvae, and some modern fishing stores offer artificial copies of dropsy, which, in strong currents, are indistinguishable from the real thing.

Cricket

Only marinka is caught with this bait; other types of fish do not react to crickets. Insects are collected early in the morning from cultivated fields. At this time they are not so mobile.

Crickets can also be found on dry banks among stones. They are stored in small boxes with grass. Marinka often prefers these insects to other bait.

Caterpillars

Hairy and colorful caterpillars often fall into the water, so they are a common food for fish. They can be collected among bushes and small trees. Large fish most often bite on green caterpillars.

Also, mountain fish will not disdain such baits as:

• caddisfly;
• amphipod;
• droplets;
• red worm.

Finding and collecting them is very simple, but small fish will peck at such bait, and they stay on the hook rather poorly.

Methods of catching marinka

They differ from each other and depend on the chosen fishing location.

On small mountain rivers

Here it is best to use a running donka (skid) - the simplest tackle, suitable even for a novice fisherman. For installation, a telescopic rod with a length of 4 to 6 meters is used.

The main line should be 0.3 mm in diameter, but sometimes when catching large fish, thicker tackle is used.

To make a donkey, a 15–25 gram weight is attached to the end of the fishing line. On very stormy rivers you will need a heavier weight - up to 100 grams.

You can use a float, a cloth or insulating tape as a depth and bite indicator. A hook leash is attached twenty centimeters from the sinker.

It is better to make the length longer. The optimal option is 40–60 cm. Hooks need to be strong and thick. No. 5 or 7 will do.

When fishing this way, you need to prepare for constant movement up the river. This type of tackle is most suitable for frequent changes of positions - it is light and easy to carry.

Attention! You should take a good supply of gear with you when fishing, since with strong currents and rocky bottoms, snags often occur, leading to the loss of hooks and sinkers.

On deep lowland rivers

In the lower reaches of mountain rivers and on reaches, it is better to catch marinka by wiring with a long release of the float. To do this, use a Bolognese fishing rod with an inertial reel.

The nozzle should be lowered closer to the bottom, and the tackle should be cast as far as possible.

The float for such tackle is made independently from reeds, bark or brooms. Only the upper part of the float is painted, and the lower part is simply opened with varnish. The fish is not afraid of it and mistakes it for garbage floating by.

The marinka bites in such places carefully, carefully testing the bait. It only needs to be hooked when the float is completely submerged under water.

On large rivers with strong currents

If the depth is sufficiently large and the current is fast, it is more appropriate to use bottom tackle with a heavy load for fishing. The float is not used, and the bite is determined by the trembling of the tip of the fishing rod. At this moment, the fish picks up the bait and pulls it against the current.

Here the marinka bites sharply, with a strong jerk. The hook should also be fast and hard. Often the fish tries to drag the hook to the bottom, behind snags or stones, so you need to fish the marinka in a fast river while holding the gear in a vertical position.

The fish will resist quite actively, but not for long. In a fast current, it swallows the bait deeply and has virtually no chance of breaking free.

On the lakes

Here they use strong fishing rods with a float.

The main feature of lake fishing is attracting fish. Without proper complementary feeding, you can wait for a bite all day without getting the expected result.

As bait, the lake marinka prefers:

• corn and millet porridge;
• bran;
• cereals.

Flavorings are also added to the mixture:

• coriander;
• vanilla;
• dill;
• hemp.