What is the difference between catfish and burbot

Are catfish and burbot related?

Two similar fish belong to completely different families.

Burbot (lota lota) is a representative of the order of codfish. It belongs to the cod family. This is the only underwater inhabitant that lives in fresh water bodies.

The common catfish (silurus glanis) is a freshwater representative of the catfish order of the catfish family.

Where does burbot fish occur and live?

Burbot is a relict fish that came from the Ice Age. The most favorite places for this type of fish are the rivers of the Arctic Ocean. The largest species can be found here. Accordingly, the closer to the south, the smaller the fish. Burbot also swims in the rivers of Siberia, Ufa, Tura, Tavda, near the Ural slopes, and in lakes. In general, burbot lives off the northern coasts of Europe, Asia, and America. This is a fairly valuable commercial fish species. The most suitable temperature for life should not exceed +10 - +12 degrees.

Warm water leads to slow movement, the fish plays hide and seek and is difficult to find.

The mandatory rule of water for burbot cod fish is fresh water. Therefore, this list includes rivers in lowland areas, forests, and mountain rivers. The colder the better. During the summer period, it is almost impossible to catch, since even the lightening from the moon is perceived as a bright source of light. It eats extremely rarely in the heat, so it does not leave its “homes”.

Where to find it in warm weather:

burrows;
driftwood;
tree roots;
grass.

Use in cooking

Burbot has a much wider range of uses in cooking. It is used to make excellent fish soup, fried, smoked, baked in pies, dried, and made into steaks and kebabs. The liver is used to make pates or cooked whole.

Catfish is often fried like steaks or baked in pies, or the meat is steamed. “Catfish has white meat, it’s good to fry,” said Huckleberry Finn in the story of his adventures. This fish is not eaten by Muslims, as they are forbidden to cook fish without scales.

Som

The difference in the number of dishes is due to the fact that until recently, the tail of catfish was most often used for food, in which more fat accumulates. Plus, the rest of the body has a stronger fishy odor. Burbot, in addition to the excellent taste and aroma of meat, is distinguished by its liver, which is considered a delicacy. A man fed two generals with burbot fish soup in the famous story by Saltykov-Shchedrin.

Burbot

Tackle store “Klevaka”All photos Som and Burbot21

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What is the difference between catfish and burbot

But there are several main differences that help you understand the catfish or burbot in front of you:

The first has a naked body, longer antennae (especially the upper pair) and more of them. The head is flattened, the fins are small.
The burbot has a large antennae only on the lower jaw (even the beard is larger), and the fins are larger. The body is covered with small scales. The head is more elongated.
The differences between these inhabitants of the depths are also in their maximum sizes. The first can grow up to three meters in length and weigh 200 kilograms. The second grows up to a meter, with a maximum weight of half a centner.
There is also a difference in which parts of catfish and burbot are intended for cooking. Burbot, being a cod breed, is distinguished by its tasty liver, considered by many to be a delicacy. The meat is distinguished by its juiciness and slight sweetness in taste. For catfish, fillets are mainly used. There is a lot of meat in this fish, the bones are small, and the absence of scales helps with cleaning.

When purchasing any river fish, it is very important that it is as fresh as possible and definitely not frozen. Once defrosted, the meat of these fish becomes dry, stringy and tastes empty. This especially affects burbot.

Origin of the species and description

Photo: Burbot

According to the modern classification, the burbot is included in the subfamily Lotinae (in fact, it forms this taxon. Russian ichthyologists classify the burbot as a separate family of burbot. Regarding the species subtypes, here the opinions of scientists differ, because some researchers believe the species is monotypic, others - on the contrary.

There are 2 - 3 subspecies:

common burbot, inhabiting the waters of Eurasia;
thin-tailed burbot - a resident of the reservoirs of Alaska and the Far East;
Lota lota maculosa is a subspecies found in the southern regions of North America.

All subspecies of burbot are exclusively nocturnal - hunting, migration, reproduction and other manifestations of activity occur from approximately 22:00 to 6:00. Accordingly, burbot fishing occurs exclusively at night.

Video: Burbot

Being a purely nocturnal predator, burbot does not sit in ambush, waiting for its prey, but actively stalks and sneaks up on it, determining the location of potential food through hearing, smell and touch. But the burbot does not particularly rely on its visual analyzer - this is quite understandable. Think for yourself - what can you see at night, at the bottom of the river? Therefore, we don’t really hope for the burbot with our own eyes.

Now there is a trend towards a widespread decrease in the average size of individuals and a decrease in the number of this fish due to the systematic deterioration of living conditions (among them, water pollution and overfishing, including poaching, are of greatest importance).

Eating burbot

Despite its ugly shape , burbot is not only very tasty, but also healthy. Burbot meat is white in color with a dense structure. The taste is very delicate with sweet and pleasant notes. In many medieval recipes, these fish were used in pies and soups, and their liver was considered a real delicacy and was once highly prized by French chefs and the Tsars of Russia.

Another important quality is that this individual is not bony. He just has a backbone, that's all. You won't choke on this kind of fish. There are mentions of burbot in Russian literature. So, Anton Chekhov wrote a story called “Burbot” about a group of people trying to catch one burbot; burbot was also a tasty dish for the royal family in Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”. In addition, almost a hundred years ago it was discovered that foxes raised in captivity and fed such fish had higher quality fur.

What are the similarities

Catfish and burbot are predators and scavengers at the same time. They feed on small fish, in particular ruffs, gobies, bream, perch, gudgeon and roach. They eat bottom invertebrates, crustaceans, and larvae of semi-aquatic insects. Both love frogs. They do not disdain the carrion that they find at the bottom.

Adult catfish often attack juvenile waterfowl and rodents crossing a body of water.

Both underwater inhabitants are rarely found in the water column, preferring to stay near the bottom. They live in deep holes, pools, ravines and ditches. The first one chooses a hard rocky or sandy-clay bottom, the second one feels good everywhere, even in muddy places. They also love single flooded tree trunks and dense rubble.

Both predators have a slab-like elongated body with a rounded head, a large mouth and a long anal fin that reaches the tail. Body color ranges from light brown to almost black, depending greatly on the conditions in which a particular individual lives.

Burbot (Lota lota)

Until almost 2 years of age, burbot feed on worms, insect larvae, small crustaceans, crayfish and fish eggs. The burbot turns into a real predator only after reaching sexual maturity, when fish becomes its main prey. The favorite food of burbots are minnows, loaches, ruffes and other bottom fish. It willingly eats its own young, as well as the larvae of lampreys, frogs, and crayfish. Clams and other types of benthic invertebrates are often found in burbot food. Before spawning, burbot stops feeding, and its period of active feeding resumes only after the completion of spawning.

Where does burbot live?

Photo: Burbot in Russia

Burbot prefers cold and clean reservoirs with a rocky bottom. Most often, this fish lives in deep holes with springs, in thickets of reeds and reeds located near the banks, as well as under snags and tree roots that go under water. It is these preferences that explain the fact that burbot most often disappears from rivers where trees growing along the banks are systematically cut down.

In central Russia, after the end of the flood (approximately May-early June), the period of sedentary life begins for burbot. The fish stop in steep ravines or huddle deeper into rocks and coastal burrows. In lakes, burbot is at its maximum depth at this time.

Moreover, he chooses to live either a place near underwater springs, or under floating shores. Burbot eagerly lives under rafts, adjacent to the ruff. Before the heat sets in, it still goes out to fatten at night (especially if there is a ruffe population nearby), but in July the fish huddle deeper into holes and under stones and snags. In the absence of natural shelters, it buries itself in the mud.

Taking into account all the factors listed above, the number of burbots is considered to be relatively small - and in the predominant territory of their range. There is a clear dependence - burbot are always found more often where the spawning grounds are on rocky soils and where nature provides the best shelters for the fry.

Now you know where burbot is found. Let's see what this fish eats.

Burbot

Burbot is the only freshwater fish of the cod family. This fish is known for its long body; the burbot's head is very large, flattened and wide. The fins are large, the color of young individuals is almost black, turning into olive green, with a characteristic marble pattern. Unlike the catfish with six whiskers, the burbot has only one whisker on its chin. Catfish are believed to be gradually displacing burbot from southern areas. Burbot has yellow eyes with a black pupil. Burbot skin is very durable and dense; previously it was used to make various consumer goods, such as purses.

However, burbot has undoubted culinary advantages, including white and dense meat, good taste and the content of vitamins and protein, which are well absorbed in the human body. Regular consumption of burbot meat reduces the likelihood of heart and vascular disease and cholesterol levels. In addition, it helps to improve visual acuity and the condition of the skin and bones of the person who eats burbot. The burbot liver, which occupies up to ten percent of its weight, contains trace elements and healthy fats; adding it to the fish soup improves its taste and properties. Many northern peoples freeze burbot liver and then use it raw as stroganina.

How and when to catch

Burbot is mainly caught with bottom gear. A donk or feeder is used. You can catch burbot using girders.

Fishing for burbot is very similar to fishing for eels, and they are a natural food competitor, and you may be able to catch them too. Don't be alarmed if you see a snake on your hook, it's an eel. Don't forget that the eel was listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2008.

Read more about gear and fishing methods in the article: What and how to catch burbot

The best time for catching burbot is from November to March; it is rarely caught in the warm season, it all depends on the region where the fish lives and on the water temperature.

When fishing for burbot in winter, it is important to take into account that the Fishery Rules of the Russian Federation, depending on the water basin and region, establish separate prohibited fishing periods for burbot fishing, usually from December to January. The ban is established in most regions for 15 days, it is different everywhere, check the timing in the Fishing Rules of your region, otherwise there is a chance of getting a serious fine. The legislator also established the minimum permitted catch size; it is different in each region; you can find it in the Fishery Rules.

Burbot: calorie content and beneficial properties

As with any freshwater fish meat, burbot contains nutrients. Meat contains:

proteins - 19.5%;
fats - 0.5%;
carbohydrates - 0%;
minerals about 1%.

In addition, it is rich in vitamins A, D, E and group B (B 1, B 2, B 5, B 6, B 12). They contain a lot of phosphorus and potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium. What makes the fish unique is that about 10% of its weight is in the liver, which is six times more than freshwater fish of comparable size.

Studies have found that burbot liver has three to four times more activity in vitamin D and 4–10 times more activity in vitamin A than in fish oil. Burbot is also very rich in amino acids and high in unsaturated fatty acids.

Due to its low viscosity, it is easily absorbed by the human body. Burbot dishes are indispensable in the diet of people who want to lose weight. 100 grams of burbot contains about 90 kcal. Therefore, without fear, dishes from this fish can be included in the diet of people who are watching their figure. Since meat does not contain carbohydrates, it can be used in the diet of people with diabetes.

The peculiarity of burbot dishes is that they allow you to lose weight and not feel hungry, this is due to the fact that the fish contains a sufficient amount of vitamins , protein, micro- and macroelements. We should not forget that the total number of calories in burbot depends on the method of preparation and the ingredients used. In addition, the nutritional value also depends on the time of year when it was caught .

Main differences

There are enough differences between the types:

Catfish grow to gigantic sizes. The length can reach up to 5 meters and weight up to 300 kg. Burbots are much smaller - up to 120 cm and a weight of 20 kg.
The burbot has one barbel on its chin and a pair on its upper jaw. The giant has a long pair of mustaches on the upper jaw and two shorter ones on the lower.
The head of the catfish is large and round, while the head of the second one is flattened.
The dorsal fin of catfish is small. “Freshwater cod” has two of them: the first is short, the second is long, almost merging with the tail.

Burbot is a cold-loving resident. Its main activity is observed in the winter months. It begins in November, when the predator’s pre-spawning glutton is in full swing, accompanied by migrations to spawning areas. The fish's stable appetite continues until mid-April. Then, as it gets warmer, her mobility decreases and she becomes sluggish.

Burbot spawns at water temperatures of only 1–3 degrees.

Catfish, on the contrary, love warm water. It spawns at a temperature of 18–20 degrees. Divides into pairs. The female lays eggs in a pre-prepared nest, which the couple then protects from the encroachments of those who like to feast on easy money.

After spawning, the fish begins to actively feed. In temperate latitudes, the peak of zhora occurs at the end of May - beginning of June. Having eaten, the predator switches to measured feeding. They choose to hunt mainly at night, less often during the day in cloudy weather. In the second half of October it becomes lethargic and inactive.

Both types are often used in cooking, but it is impossible to say for sure which of the fish is tastier. Each is good in its own way if prepared correctly. Burbot is usually fried, fish soup, cutlets are made, and its liver is a delicacy recognized by all culinary specialists. The mustachioed giant is often smoked cold or hot, baked in the oven, grilled or cooked on an open fire.

Burbot - description

According to the description, burbot has a snake-like body and looks like a catfish crossed with an eel, but it has one difference - it has one long, fleshy probe called a barbel, giving the impression of a beard (see picture).

then higher). The fish's body is elongated and laterally compressed, with a flat head and one tubular projection for each nostril. It has two dorsal fins, a short anterior and an elongated posterior dorsal fin, the pectoral fins are fan-shaped, and the pelvic fins are narrow with elongated rays. The presence of such small fins in relation to body size indicates a bottom-dwelling lifestyle with low swimming endurance, unable to withstand strong currents.

Most of its body consists of its tail . The body color is creamy or pale green with dark brown or olive green spots. The mouth is wide, with an upper and lower jaw consisting of many small teeth. This camouflage is used to hide from minnows and other small species. When they swim close enough, it captures them with its massive mouth. Burbot have a strange habit of wrapping their slimy tails around the hands of unsuspecting anglers when they are caught.

Features of spawning

The exclusivity of the cold-loving predator directly affects the timing of egg laying. Depending on the region and the specific habitat of burbot, spawning occurs between late December and February. In order for the eggs to develop properly, the water temperature must be +1°C. In northern latitudes, such conditions are created quickly by nature and last for several months. In the temperate zone, this is much more difficult, so the fish have developed the ability for parthenogenesis (“virgin reproduction”) - the full development of an unfertilized clutch. This amazing quality allows females to successfully solve the problem of procreation on rare days of sharp cold weather, without spending extra time searching for sexually mature males.

Burbot spawning occurs in shallow water areas with a slow current and a hard bottom: stone, shells, pebbles, sand. To do this, the fish makes long migrations, often to the places where it was born. The first to arrive at the spawning ground are large individuals, which lay eggs in small groups of 15-20 pieces. Then the medium-sized specimens also begin spawning in small flocks. The last to arrive are sexually mature young animals (3-5 years old), which gather together in noisy “companies” of 50-100 pieces.

Unlike other freshwater fish, cod eggs have good buoyancy due to the oily coating, so part of the clutch drifts freely and is transported by the current to areas of the reservoir with different microclimate conditions, which increases the chances of survival of the genus.

During spawning, the predator actively feeds, so in regions with a limited population there is a partial or complete ban on winter fishing.

Burbot fishing

In order to ensure a good catch, it is advisable to find a “burbot trail”, that is, those places where it makes sense to look for it. Burbot chooses not just cold, but also highly oxygenated waters; it can hardly be found in silted reservoirs. It takes well on both live and dead fish, although deviations from normal behavior are possible. The difficulty for the fisherman is the lack of a pronounced bite. Having swallowed the bait, the burbot remains in place, and sometimes you can only find out that the fish has been caught by pulling out the tackle. It must be taken into account that this fish has the ability to tightly wrap and tangle the fishing line, so to fish for it you need to use simple and strong tackle with a short and strong fishing line. The fish just needs to be pulled out without any tricks, the burbot will go in the direction of applying force to the line, but this is a persistent fish, so the process of getting it out of the water is not entirely simple.

Photo: Andrey Burmakin, Mikhail Markovskiy, PiLensPhoto. Purchased from Fotolia.com.

Source: gapeenko.net

Natural enemies of burbot

Photo: River fish burbot

The highest fertility of burbot does not make this fish breed numerous. In addition to the death of most fry during floods, a countless number of eggs are carried away by the current. In addition, other fish are not averse to eating burbot caviar (the main “baby killers” are perch, ruffe, roach, and, to a greater extent, the burbot’s “favorite” gudgeon). Ironically, part of the eggs remains in the bottom depressions and is eaten by the burbot itself. As a result, by the end of winter, no more than 10-20% of the countless eggs remain.

If you take an adult, sexually mature burbot, then it has a minimum of natural enemies. Few people dare to attack a fish 1 m long. The only thing is that in the summer (during the heat, which burbot, being a typical northern fish, cannot tolerate at all), when even adult burbot do not show much activity, it can become food for a catfish significantly larger in size.

The main danger lies in the hands of small and unborn burbots. It is for this reason that only a few burbots survive to the age of sexual maturity. Burbot caviar, by the way, is a “delicacy” for fish even in winter. But ruffes, silver bream and perches, as well as other fish that serve as food for mature burbots, like to feast on the fry.

Population and species status

Photo: What burbot looks like

The range of burbot is quite wide - the fish is found in freshwater bodies of the northern regions of Europe, Asia and North America. In Europe, burbot is caught in New England (the fish is practically not found in Scotland and Ireland), in France (mainly in the Rhone River basin, somewhat less often in the upper reaches of the Seine and Loire), in Italy (mainly in the Po River), and also in the western cantons of Switzerland, in the Danube basin (almost everywhere) and in reservoirs belonging to the Baltic Sea basin. Not found (since the middle of the last century) on the west coast of the Scandinavian countries, as well as on the Iberian, Apennine and Balkan peninsulas.

In Russia, burbot is distributed everywhere - in reservoirs flowing in the Arctic and temperate zones, as well as in the river basins of Siberia - from the Ob to Anadyr, and throughout their entire length. In the European part of Russia, burbot is not found in the Crimea, Transcaucasia (with the exception of the lower reaches of the Kura and Sefidrud), sometimes this fish is caught in the North Caucasus - in the river basin. Kuban. The northern boundary of the range is the coast of the Arctic Ocean.

In the south, burbot is found in the Ob-Irtysh basin, and occupies a fairly wide range - starting from the upper reaches (Lake Teletskoye and Zaisan) and up to the Ob Bay. This fish is not found in Central Asia, although in the century before last this fish was actively fished in the Aral Sea basin. In the Yenisei and Baikal, burbot is caught almost everywhere. In the Selenga basin, the range descends to the south, all the way to Mongolia. Burbot is found throughout the river basin. The Amur River with its main tributaries - the Ussuri and Sungari. Found in the upper reaches of the Yalu River.

Regarding the Pacific coast, burbot is found on Sakhalin and the Shantar Islands, and even ends up in desalinated areas of the seas (where the water salinity does not exceed 12).

Habits and interesting facts about the behavior of burbot

Burbot is an unpretentious fish that does not make high demands on living conditions or food quality. Settles on any type of soil: rocky, sandy, clay, silty, as well as on mixed types of soil, avoiding heavily silted areas that create turbidity. Despite its unpretentious disposition, Nm is very picky about the composition of water; it lives only in flowing reservoirs with clean, cool water.

This trait of burbot serves as an indicator of the purity of the natural resource. If for some reason the water becomes polluted, for example, harmful waste leaks, the burbot float to the surface and stand motionless, turning their heads towards the shore.

L.P. Sabaneev also noted the fact that burbots do not tolerate sunlight and moonlight; he repeatedly recorded a complete absence of bites on full-moon nights.

There are no questions about sunlight - the visual organs of nocturnal fish, and burbot is one of them, are susceptible to daylight, especially to its excess. But how moonlight affects fish is unclear, especially since Nm are attracted by the reflections of fires and the light of lanterns - a feature that has been proven in practice and is even used by fishermen. Most likely, the hermit is affected not by the radiance of the full moon, but by natural processes occurring during the full moon.

Burbot caviar has amazing and rare properties. She is able to fully develop without fertilization, this phenomenon is called parthenogenesis - “virgin reproduction”. Parthenogenesis in most fish does not lead to normal development of eggs and the appearance of full-fledged offspring, but in burbot there is an extremely exceptional case: from its unfertilized eggs, healthy larvae emerge, capable of immediately swimming and developing normally.

It is worth noting the special sensitivity of burbot to various sounds. His well-developed hearing aid contributes to this. Unlike other fish, sounds do not frighten our hero, but, on the contrary, attract him, and the curiosity he shows is completely disinterested and not like that of a hungry pike attacking a third-party rustle as a sign of the manifestation of its potential prey.

Another interesting feature of the cold-water predator is that it shows interest not only in sounds, but also in the caught fish in fishermen’s cages, attacking them. But in this case, he is no longer driven by sporting curiosity, but by his insatiable nature. This and other facts confirm that it is the most greedy and voracious of all freshwater predators.

What does it eat?

Burbot is a typical nocturnal bottom freshwater predator. The fish is most active either at night or at dusk. Its diet includes a wide variety of prey:

Small fish: perch, goby, gudgeon, ruff.
Benthic invertebrates.
Frogs and crustaceans.
Larvae of various semi-aquatic insects.

What burbot eats, in addition to the food mentioned above, is various carrion. He is a typical pond orderly. The fish picks up almost all the animals decomposing at the bottom. Therefore, the predator is often caught using rotten meat or dead fish, which he loves very much.

Burbot bite

The fishing season lasts from autumn to mid-spring. The optimal time for biting is late evening and early morning (up to 5 o’clock). The main zhor falls in November-February. Live bait (no larger than 8-15 cm in size) is used as bait for burbot: gudgeon, bleak, ruff. The practice of fishing for pieces of carp, small frogs, a bunch of large worms, and chicken liver is also common. Often a predator can be seduced by the leisurely play of a spinner or wobbler.

Donks of various modifications are used as the main means of fishing. A rig consisting of a short rod with rings, an inertial reel, a fishing line with a thickness of 0.5-0.40 mm and a moderate sinker that is not carried away by the current, but does not create a strong splash, has proven itself well. It is better to attach a leash with a hook below the load so that the bait is as close to the bottom as possible.

In winter, under-ice rigs (postavushki) are used, in which the reel with fishing line is constantly in the water, which avoids freezing of the equipment.

general description

Cod (Gadiformes) is a marine commercial species of great economic importance. The only freshwater representative of the cod family that lives in Russian waters is the burbot (Lotalota).

Its distribution range is northern and central Europe (where it reaches the southern coast of France and the northern part of the Balkan Peninsula), northern Asia and North America.

Representatives of this species have a cylindrical body shape. The scales are fine-grained. All of them have a large, wide muzzle and marbling that always blends into the background of the rocky bottom.

This is a cold-blooded variety. It lives in deep lakes with very clear water and hard bottoms covered with boulders from bottom springs. In winter, he leads an active lifestyle, and in hot weather he falls into a state of numbness, since he cannot tolerate heat and light.

The Lota Lota species from the Lotidae family lives in cold rivers and lakes of Europe, Asia, North America and Alaska. It can live in both fresh and brackish waters and descends to depths of up to 700 meters. It is a spotted greenish or brown specimen that can reach 1.5 meters in length.

It has very small embedded scales, a chin barbel, a long anal fin and two dorsal fins. They are relatively long-lived, slow-growing fish, and in Alaska they typically do not reach sexual maturity until 6 or 7 years of age.

The feature that sets them apart from other freshwater fish is that they spawn in mid to late winter.

The classification of the species remains a matter of debate with some taxonomists. Some sources classify the species in the subfamily Lotinae of the cod family Gadidae. In addition, some ichthyologists place the Siberian and North American representative of the species in Lotamaculosa.

In fact, this species is the only freshwater cod in North America.

Burbot diet

Burbots are carnivorous bottom fish, therefore their diet consists of bottom inhabitants of reservoirs . Young individuals under two years of age typically feed on insect larvae, small crustaceans and worms, as well as various fish eggs. Slightly older individuals also do not disdain frogs, their larvae and eggs. With age, burbots become dangerous predators, and their diet consists mainly of fish, the size of which can reach even a third of their own size.

The composition of the diet of adult burbot is subject to quite noticeable changes throughout the year. For example, in spring and summer, such bottom predators, even very large ones, prefer to feed on crayfish and worms. On too hot days, burbots stop consuming food altogether and try to hide in cold-water areas of natural reservoirs.

The onset of autumn cooling is characterized by changes in the behavior and nutrition of freshwater representatives of the cod family. Fish leave their shelter and begin an active search for food exclusively at night.

Often, in active searches for prey, burbots visit shallow water areas. The appetite of such a fairly large aquatic predator invariably increases with a decrease in water temperature and in conditions of shorter daylight hours. With the onset of winter, minnows, loaches and ruffs, which are in a half-asleep state, become prey for burbot. Many other types of fish, including crucian carp, as a rule, are characterized by significant sensitivity, due to which they are much less likely to fall into the mouth of a nocturnal predator.

Based on the pecking characteristics of burbot, it is quite possible to conclude that such an aquatic predator prefers to grab caught prey by almost any part of the body, after which it calmly swallows it without making sudden movements. Such freshwater representatives of the order Gadidae have a very well-developed sense of smell and hearing, while vision is used extremely rarely by an aquatic predator.

Burbots are capable of eating even decaying animals; they often swallow very spiny fish in the form of stickleback and ruffe, and the latter is the favorite and common victim of a nocturnal aquatic predator.

Burbots are able to smell and hear their prey at a fairly large distance. With the onset of winter, burbots completely stop feeding. After such complete torpor, lasting only a few days or a week, a period of active spawning begins.

Description and maximum size

The characteristic differences between burbot and catfish and other fish will allow even inexperienced fishermen to clearly identify the predator:

elongated fleshy body in the shape of a spindle;
rounded sides and flattened tail;
the second dorsal and anal fins have an abnormal length of half the body;
small scales with a smooth outer edge (cycloid) with chaotic spots and mucus;
three mustaches: one on the chin, two on the upper jaw protruding forward;
flat head with small eyes;
large mouth with many bristle-like teeth;
the ventral fins are located under the throat and are equipped with a thread-like ray that plays the role of additional organs of touch.

The average size of the predator is 60-80 cm (3-6 kg). The largest burbot caught weighed 25 kg with a length of over 120 cm. Color depends on living conditions, age, bottom type and degree of water transparency. The standard is considered to be an olive belly, dark brown sides, and black-grayish fins. As individuals grow and age, their colors lighten.

Protection of burbot

Photo: Burbot from the Red Book

Burbot belongs to the 1st category of extinction - the species is under threat of extinction within the boundaries of Moscow, therefore it is included in Appendix 1 of the Red Book of the Moscow Region. At the same time, burbot is not in the International Red Book.

In order to preserve the burbot population, ecologists are carrying out a number of activities, namely:

implementation of population monitoring (systematic, even during periods of low behavioral activity);
control of the ecological cleanliness of summer shelters and spawning grounds for burbot;
identification of new places that can be considered relatively suitable for burbot spawning;
development and implementation of measures aimed at preventing the deterioration of the ecological situation of water bodies in the Moscow region and an increase in water temperature, provoking early and active flowering. The area that receives maximum attention is from the Moscow Ring Road to the Filevskaya floodplain;
introduction of a ban on strengthening the banks of rivers and reservoirs in currently existing and planned protected areas through the construction of concrete structures, gabions and log walls. In case of extreme need to strengthen the bank, only vertical planning of the bank and planting of trees is allowed;
restoration of the coastal zone ecosystem located along areas of greatest value for burbot, as well as streamlining their use for recreational purposes;
creation of summer shelters and spawning substrates optimally suitable for burbot. For this purpose, rocky-sandy “pillows” are built in well-aerated areas of reservoirs;
artificial restoration of the population and additional introduction of long-clawed crayfish into water bodies - this arthropod, along with the gudgeon, is a favorite food item for burbot;
implementation of strict control over compliance with the ban on catching burbot (especially during spawning) as a species listed in the Moscow Red Book.

Please note again that the measures listed above are relevant only for the Moscow region.

Burbot is a bottom-dwelling predator that is exclusively nocturnal. Prefers reservoirs with cold water; heat has a depressing effect on it. The species has a wide habitat, but its numbers are not high due to behavioral characteristics, as well as the specifics of the processes of reproduction and the acquisition of sexual maturation.

Main characteristics

The level of distribution of fish is closely related to its inability to remain for a long time in stagnant and excessively warm water. The largest number of livestock can be found in the northern part of the hemisphere, for example, in Siberia and the Arctic Ocean basin, as well as in the North-East and North-West of Russia.

And yet the fish also lives in the southern regions, but this is a very small population. In rivers that flow into the Caspian and Black Seas, the average weight of individuals is no more than 0.7 - 1.0 kg.

Even in cold lakes in the North, this fish will still look for the coolest place. She loves underwater springs, and as a last resort she chooses holes, snags and all kinds of stone piles. The composition of the bottom is not particularly important; it can be clay, sand, pebbles, etc. The only exception is a large amount of silt. The predator has poor orientation in muddy water , so it will not climb into such areas.

Appearance and dimensions

To understand what a burbot fish looks like and identify it as accurately as possible, the easiest way is to compare an individual with a catfish. They are very similar and novice anglers often confuse these two species. The main differences are as follows:

All codfish have only one barbel on their chin. And in the area of the upper jaw, the burbot's whiskers are much smaller than those of the catfish.
Catfish are large in size. Its head is very impressive and powerful, in contrast to the flattened burbot.
The catfish does not have chaotically scattered spots throughout the body and its color is darker.

In addition, in addition to differences in appearance, these two predators have different habits. Burbot is most active during the cold period of the year, in contrast to catfish, whose activity is more productive in May-July. Spawning of a representative of cod occurs in winter, and for catfish this happens at the end of May.

The average weight of burbot reaches 3-6 kg.

The average size of burbot: weight 3−6 kg and length 60−80 cm. The record-breaking fish reached 120 cm in length and weighed 25 kg. The way burbot looks is affected by age, water quality, habitat conditions and bottom type. The most common species are an olive belly, black-gray fins and dark sides. With the onset of old age, the color fades.

Habits and characteristics

The predator is active only at night. Its senses are designed for hunting in the dark. The light of the sun irritates the eyesight of the inhabitant of the depths, so he spends the whole day in his shelter (in a hole or under stones).

The same behavior of fish manifests itself with a significant increase in water temperature, which causes a lack of appetite and apathy. In cloudy and cool weather, it becomes voracious and active.

Another interesting habit of the predator is its observation of sounds. Burbot has excellent hearing and is inquisitive, trying to find sources of noise.