Gorchak fish lives in freshwater standing or weak-current reservoirs. These small and beautiful fish have a rather exotic type of relationship with bivalves.
And their mutual influence on the diversity of the ichthyofauna of our rivers and lakes is, without exaggeration, enormous. In shape and description, the bitter fish is similar to a small multi-colored crucian carp, as can be seen from the photo below in the text.
Description and photo of bitterling
The bitterlings have a tall and short body, up to 9 cm, with large scales. Usually its length “floats” in the range from 4 to 8 cm. The sides are compressed, the head is small relative to the body, with yellow eyes and orange specks above the pupils. The mouth is semi-inferior, oblique. The pharyngeal teeth are single-rowed. The lateral line is visible only on the first 4-7 scales; in total, the fish has from 34 to 40 transverse rows.
Common mustard (from the Latin Rhodeus sericeus) belongs to the genus of ray-finned fish and the carp family (Cyprinidae).
The most common names for mustard among people are bitter, sinyavka, mustard, mustard, pukasik, etc.
The name of the fish probably comes from the bitter taste of its meat. This bitterness appeared due to the characteristics of the diet. After all, bitterlings feed mainly on bitter algae - diatoms and filamentous algae.
Another species of bitterling is common in Europe - European bitterling (Rhodeus amarus).
European bitterweed (Rhodeus amarus)
Externally, in terms of description and habits, the fish practically do not differ from each other. also belongs to the carp family.
Distributed in European countries in the river basins of France, up to the Neva in the Russian Federation.
Varieties and appearance
The main genus-forming representative is the common bitterweed (Rhodeus sericeus), which is known in many regions under various common names: bitterweed, little weed, blueweed, alder, bitterweed. The visual resemblance to one of its distant relatives became the reason for the appearance of the popular nickname - bitter crucian carp.
Inhabits the European part of Russia and the Far East, numerous in the basins of the Caspian, Azov, Black and Baltic seas (Volga, Oka, Moksha, Don, Kuban, Neva). The maximum lifespan is 6 years, during which individual individuals grow up to 12 cm and gain a weight of 20-25 g. At the same time, the average size of the fish does not exceed 5-7 cm and weighs 13-15 g.
Thanks to the characteristic external features, bitterling is easy to distinguish from other representatives of freshwater ichthyofauna:
- high body in the shape of an oval with a sharp thinning in the tail area;
- large cycloid scales of silvery color (34-39 pieces in a row);
- a shortened lateral line that does not reach the vertical drawn from the first ray of the elongated dorsal fin;
- large eyes with a red spot on the iris;
- longitudinal greenish stripe in the tail;
- bluish back with an emerald tint;
- light milky belly.
Depending on the season, the color scheme of the body color can change significantly. For example, during the spawning period, the backs of males become almost purple, and the sides and fins acquire a purplish tint.
To learn more:
The many-faced asp: sheresper, grip and horse-fish
Gorchak Light
The small nominative subspecies (Rhodeus lighti) lives in China and the Russian Far East - some tributaries of the Amur, rivers of the Ussuri basin, Primorsky Territory. It grows up to 5-6 cm in length and has a bright color: a greenish back, pink and blue spots near the edge of the gill covers, and an ultramarine stripe on the tail. The main diet of the fish consists of zooplankton, larvae, mosquitoes, and small algae. The ability to reproduce occurs in the second year of life with a height of 3.0-3.5 cm. The sex ratio in the flock is usually 1:1.
Amur Gorchak
Representatives of the species (Rhodeus amarus) live in Mongolia, China, Sakhalin, Khabarovsk Territory, Jewish OA, in small and large rivers of the basin of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. They prefer places with stagnant or slow-flowing water, where their favorite food, filamentous algae, is abundant. In terms of external features, the fish is similar to an ordinary bitterling, but has darker color tones.
Ocellated bitterweed
The subspecies (Rhodeus ocellatus) lives in Central Asia and has a characteristic eye-spot on the surface of the dorsal fin. The fish is characterized by lemon-yellowish tones of color.
Prickly bitterling
The species Acanthorhodeus asmussi deserves special attention, which, although it belongs to a different genus, is close in habits and appearance to Rhodeus sericeus. Features of the fish are a semi-lower mouth, a black stripe on the caudal peduncle and a large size, sometimes reaching 15-16 cm. In addition to plant foods, it happily eats chironomid larvae and the smallest crustaceans. Inhabits water bodies in the lower part of the Amur basin, also lives in Korea, northeast China, and Mongolia.
Spawning bitterling and shellfish
Upon reaching 2-3 years of age, bitterlings can reproduce. At this time, the size of the fish is only 3-4 cm. Males develop nuptial coloration during the spawning period. L.P. Sabaneev described the male bitterling as follows:
“His back and sides become dark purple, the side stripe becomes bright green and reaches almost to the middle of the body; the chest and belly get a pinkish tint; the fins are also made more variegated and bright (reddish in various shades with a black edge). In addition, small white warts are noticeable on both sides of the eyes and mouth.”
The females remain inconspicuous, but they grow a long ovipositor, up to 4-5 cm long.
A male bitterling fish in breeding plumage and a female with an ovipositor
The process of reproduction and the type of relationship between the bitterling fish and the bivalve mollusk pearl barley (Unio) and toothless mollusk (Anodonta) are interesting.
The male selects a group of mollusks and protects them from other males. The female, using the ovipositor, lays eggs inside the slightly open shell.
Female bitterling during spawning period
An alarmed mollusk, sensing foreign bodies inside, slams the valves and begins to intensively pump water through itself, trying to remove them. At this time, the male releases milk, which, with a current of water, enters the shell, where fertilization of the eggs occurs.
Thus, 4-5 eggs are “settled” into the shell at a time, where they turn into fry. The bitterling spawns in portions; in total, the female lays up to 280 eggs. Leaving the shell, the fry “carry away” the larvae of mollusks, helping the species spread throughout the reservoir.
Interspecific relationships between bitterling and mollusk during spawning
So, we observe interspecific relationships in the survival of fish and river shells. The bitterlings help the toothless and pearled beetles to develop new territories, and the latter provide a place for reproduction, protection and food for the offspring of the bitterlings.
general characteristics
Potato pests: description, photos and measures to combat them
In English-language sources, this weed is often found under the name “Russian knapweed”. Indeed, in appearance, creeping bitterweed, a photo of which can be seen below, is very similar to certain types of cornflowers. Typically the plant reaches a height of up to 75 cm. Its branched stems with numerous oblong leaves are crowned with dark pink flower baskets that bloom in July and bloom until August.
Creeping bitterling is a fairly unpretentious plant. It loves warmth and light, and is very resistant to drought. Its roots can grow to a depth of more than 10 meters and feed on moisture that is not available to other plants. In addition, this weed perfectly tolerates soil compaction and the accumulation of harmful salts in it: carbonates, chlorides, sulfates. The only thing that bitterling does not like is flooding the soil, so it does not grow in rice fields.
Habits of bitterling
Gorchakov are not so easy to notice in the water, unlike bleak. The fish live in schools in places where barley and toothless fish accumulate and not far from algae thickets. Moreover, in a flock of bitterlings there are about 5-6 times more females than males.
The life of a fisherman passes unnoticed and it does not show itself in any way on the pond. The fish preferentially stay on sandy-pebbly, sandy-stone bottoms. In rivers these are coastal channels and creeks; in lakes these are quiet, shallow places.
Mustards do not migrate; the place they choose once remains constant throughout their life.
Lifestyle and behavior
Gorchaki move in flocks, avoiding fast currents and heavily swampy water bodies with oxygen deficiency. The optimal habitat for the population is quiet and calm streams, creeks, and small tributaries. Due to its small size, the fish needs constant reliable shelter, which is provided by coastal vegetation thickets, stones and snags at depths of 0.5-2 meters. Gorchak constantly lives in the bottom layers or on the ground. The basic food is unicellular and colonial algae (diatoms, eudorina, gonium) and plants. To a lesser extent, the diet contains zooplankton, crustaceans, larvae, and worms.
To learn more:
What is bleak and where does it live?
The main biological and feeding activity of the fish occurs during daylight hours. She spends the night in shelter, avoiding dangerous encounters with perch, burbot, pike and pike perch. But even if detected, the fish still has a chance to escape due to its high speed of movement and excellent maneuverability.
Relations within the flock and between different species of bitterlings are quite peaceful - they coexist without problems in the same territory, without showing intense food competition. Temporary difficulties in communication can arise only between males during the breeding season.
Catching bitterling
How and what to fish for bitterling fish? There is no need to prepare specially for fishing and go after a bruise. This fish is often caught in the bycatch of roach, rudd, and bleak. If you only set your mind on bitterling, the maximum that you can catch is 4-5 individuals.
Gorchak is not a poisonous fish! It has no commercial significance; it is useless in cooking, as it is small and bitter, unless you are a culinary gourmet.
Gorchak is caught with a regular float rod, mainly with black bread. An ordinary light tackle with a small hook, for example, the same as for bleak, will do. The bites of the bluefish are indecisive; often he simply sucks on the bait.
Video about bitterling fish, description and catching
Some use caught bitterlings as bait for perch and pike, but opinions vary. Some say that bitterling is exceptionally good as a live bait, others say it is useless, since the predator disdains it.
Keeping in an aquarium
All types of bitterlings are suitable for breeding in a home tank. The fish is unpretentious, has a strong immune system, is friendly and feels great at a constant water temperature of +18-22°C. Among other microclimatic indicators of the environment, hardness (dH 12-150, maximum up to 200) and acidity (pH = 6.8-7.5) are important. Good filtration and aeration, weekly addition of settled water (1/4 of the container), and bottom cleaning of excess organic waste are also necessary.
Under natural conditions, bitterling lives on a sandy bottom, so the aquarium needs fine rocky soil with a layer of 5-7 cm. It is also desirable to have natural plants with a developed root system, since most cyprinids can easily dig them up.
To learn more:
Taimen: a valuable fish of the salmon family
Under artificial conditions, the fish willingly eats animal plant food, flakes, granules, and bread. The optimal settlement option is a flock of 5-7 individuals, preferably with a quantitative predominance of females.
Biology and development
Creeping bitterweed
– a perennial, root-sprouting, heat-loving, light-loving, drought-resistant weed plant. Does not tolerate flooding well. In dry soil, the roots remain viable. Propagated by seeds and root shoots. The minimum temperature for seed germination is +8°C – +10°C, the optimal temperature is +20°C – +30°C. Achenes germinate well from the soil surface and from a depth of no more than 8 cm. Field and laboratory germination of fresh seeds is 70 - 90%. The viability of seeds in the soil lasts for five years.
Seedlings of achenes and shoots of root buds appear, depending on the climate of the habitat, from February to May. The seedlings develop root shoots at the stage of formation of 4–5 leaves. The intensity of shoot formation is higher in the first half of summer. Shoots form until late autumn. Most of the accessory buds are located within the arable layer. The weed blooms from the first year of life and bears fruit in the second. In the second year, flowering is observed from June to August, fruiting from July to September. The maximum fertility of one plant reaches 23,000 achenes.
At temperatures + 2°C – +3°C, the aboveground organs of the plant are damaged. (Nikitin V.V., 1983) (Fisyunov A.V., 1984) (Vasilchenko I.T., 1965)
Summer residents also know how to change the world
Want! By any means and destinies! This is the only desire of a summer resident when he sees a bag of seeds of some exotic plant that he likes. “I want maned barley! It’s so beautiful that I don’t need other flowers!” - one familiar summer resident used to say.
Barley is maned. Photo from agronomu.com
This is also a way of spreading plants that are not among the inhabitants of local biocenoses: their seeds disperse from flower beds on their own. In many regions, Canadian goldenrod (golden rod) has no longer become a garden plant, but a weed. And maned barley is no longer rare in the steppes of Khakassia. These plants are not quarantine plants, but they are invasive, essentially parasitic, because they crowd out native species.
