Rotan firebrand: what an amazing fish

Description

Rotan is a predatory fish of the firebrand family.
There are three types of rotan, but in Russia only one is found - firebrand. The fish has a lot of popular names: grass, toad, crabbill, firebrand and others. This is due to the low popularity of the fish, as well as the fact that rotan perfectly adapts to its habitat, even changing color in accordance with the color of the bottom.

Its body color can vary from dirty brown to gray-green. But the predominant colors are marsh and brown. In addition, the body of the rotan may be covered with stripes and light spots of irregular shape.

During spawning, males darken almost black. The scales are quite small. The fins are usually the same color as the body, but transparent. Almost a third of the rotan’s body is occupied by a large head with a huge toothy mouth. Hence the name of the fish.

The teeth are arranged in several rows and are very sharp. Changes and updates from time to time.

The eyes are rather small, black, located frontally. Vision is very sharp, which allows it to instantly detect prey.

The gill covers are convex and large. In general, it is similar to representatives of the goby subfamily. Rotan lives 5-6 years. Matures by the second year of life. In favorable conditions it can reach up to 30 cm in length and have a maximum weight of 350-400 grams.

Description of the fish

Rotan belongs to the firebrand family. This breed came to the European part of the country from the Far East from the Amur basin and very quickly took root in many standing reservoirs where there are no other predators.

Rotan looks like a representative of the goby family. The difference is that it has two pelvic fins, while gobies have one.

The color of the rotan goby, depending on its habitat, ranges from gray-green to brown. During the mating season it turns black.

The size of adult individuals reaches 25 cm in length. The head with a large mouth and sharp teeth in several rows makes up a third of the total body size. In comfortable living conditions, a large rotan reaches a weight of up to 800 grams, but such specimens are very rare, its usual weight is 250-300 grams. On average, its lifespan is 4-5 years, but sometimes it can live 7-8 years.

These representatives of firebrands reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 years. During the spawning period (May-July), the female lays up to 1000 eggs on various plants and bottom objects. After this, the male is responsible for protecting the clutch.

Rotan firebrand is a pronounced predator. After birth, the fry of this fish feed on zooplankton, and with age they eat leeches, caviar, fry of fish and amphibians. In conditions of limited food supply, it often eats fry of its own species.

This fish adapts very well to difficult living conditions. Without any problems, it can withstand both complete freezing of reservoirs in winter and their partial drying out in summer. In such reservoirs, rotan has no competitors, since larger predators do not survive in such living conditions.

It is believed that in small bodies of water rotan completely exterminates other fish representatives. But time shows that this is not so. In many small ponds where rotan lives, for many decades, varieties such as crucian carp and crucian carp feel quite comfortable. The problem of small ponds, where there are a lot of crucian carp, has always been its degeneration. In the absence of predators, there were too many fish and there was not enough food supply for them. Over time, it began to degenerate and become very small. Rotan successfully thins out the crucian population, regulates its numbers and stimulates growth. Accordingly, with a good food supply, rotan itself reaches a fairly decent size, which makes anglers very happy.

In large bodies of water, its natural enemies are pike, pike perch and especially perch. Its numbers in such conditions are usually very small, and its size most often reaches up to 200 grams.

Few fishermen have never encountered rotan at all. Almost everyone has seen and caught this small largemouth fish, and if (by some miracle) they haven’t caught it, they’ve certainly heard of it. As a rule, not the most pleasant words are heard about rotan; its gluttony is usually emphasized - it supposedly eats everything it sees, including fry and caviar of other fish (as well as its own fry and caviar), which causes considerable harm to the ecosystem of the reservoir. But this is its quality - colossal gluttony, which allows you to successfully catch it in almost any weather, and with almost any bait of suitable size. This is, of course, a plus for fishing.

That is, if you just want to quickly and easily catch a little (or a lot) of fish, then yes, rotan is well suited for such events. But if we talk about sport fishing, when the point is not so much in the fish, but in the process of fishing itself, that is, hunting for fish, then rotan turns out to be not a very interesting object - not timid, not picky, it eats whatever you give it. Fish is only for children or lazy people who are too lazy to bother with fishing tactics and bait.

Features of behavior and nutrition

Rotan is characterized by its small size and leads a daytime gregarious lifestyle, adhering to the bottom and natural shelters (rocks, vegetation, snags). The catches usually include fish weighing 200-300 g. Record specimens weighing 400-500 g, aged 5-6 years, are much less likely to be bitten. At the same time, the maximum weight of rotan reaches 750-800 g with a body length of 25-30 cm. Only individuals who have lived their entire lives (7-8 years) in comfortable and well-fed conditions can boast of such dimensions.

Rotan is an active, aggressive and constantly hungry predator that is capable of significantly reducing and sometimes completely exterminating individual populations of other fish and amphibians, for example, frogs and newts.

The favorite habitat of rotan is small bodies of water with a stagnant or slowly flowing environment and an abundance of higher aquatic vegetation. Thanks to special biological mechanisms and the mucous coating of the body, the fish can easily survive both critical drying out and complete freezing of a pond, stream, canal, or lake.

The diet of the rotan firebrand includes leeches, worms, larvae, small invertebrates, tadpoles, eggs and juveniles of other fish (bream, carp, crucian carp, gudgeon, carp, roach, loach). In addition, he is a pronounced scavenger and cannibal. The latter quality is especially pronounced in small ponds with a quantitative predominance of rotan. In turn, larger predatory fish prey on the grass. Depending on the size and characteristics of the reservoir, it can be perch, pike perch, pike, burbot or catfish.

Rotan remains active and has an excellent appetite throughout the year, which makes it possible to catch it both in open water and on ice. The fish does not stop feeding even in rain, windy weather, extreme heat and frost. The insatiable appetite disappears only during the spawning period.

Thanks to its huge mouth and wide throat, the predator is able to slowly and confidently swallow prey of the same diameter as its own body. In this case, the stomach greatly increases in size, and the belly begins to sag. Then the well-fed fish sinks to the bottom, finds reliable shelter and digests food for several days, remaining practically motionless.

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Myths and truth about rotan.

Information about him is contradictory. Sometimes this fish is even credited with mysterious qualities.

In fact, this can be explained simply.

Rotan is unpretentious to living conditions, it feels calm in reservoirs with low oxygen content, and can withstand drying out or freezing, burrowing into silt masses.

It is an active voracious predator and feeds on smaller and non-aggressive fish, eggs, tadpoles, crustaceans, sometimes completely eating them out of the reservoir. Where it then reproduces in large quantities.

Why does this not happen to all bodies of water where firebrands are found? Yes, because in large reservoirs there are many other predatory fish that prevent rotan from spreading. He often gets caught by larger predators.

In general, many fishermen are even happy about the appearance of rotan in reservoirs where there are other predatory fish. After all, by eating young fish, it reduces the number of fish. But the rest of the fish get more food to feed themselves. As a result, it becomes larger. What else does a fisherman need!

Another myth about rotan is that this fish is not edible. I, too, once threw it into the lake, without even thinking about its taste. And all because of her scary appearance.

But now I have read a lot of reviews about rotan dishes. And those people who have eaten this fish praise its dense, juicy meat and small number of bones.

And rotan cutlets, they say, are a delicacy. I'd love to try it!

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Characteristics of the rotan predator

The rotan firebrand is the only representative of ray-finned fish of the firebrand genus. It is believed that this fish was originally found in the Amur River basin in the Far East. It is well known to fishermen in North Korea and China. Today it can be caught in rivers such as:

• Volga,
• Danube,
• Ob,
• Irtysh,
• Don,
• Dnieper,
• Ural,
• Dniester and others.

The grass or firebrand feels great in small ponds and lakes with stagnant water, where other predatory fish cannot survive. It spreads during periods of high water, together with birds and with the help of humans.

In large bodies of water this predator has enemies. These are mainly salmon breeds. Under conditions of natural selection, its numbers are small, and the largest rotan rarely reaches a weight of more than 200 grams. Perch eats especially many fry - they simply do not have time to grow.

Some people believe that rotan is a trash fish. Not at all. This small fish is an active and ferocious predator. When it gets into the ponds of fish farms, it causes enormous harm, eating the fry of especially valuable species, and its presence in the basin of the purest Lake Baikal is considered a real biological pollution.

Description and habits

Rotan has a short and dense body. The scales are dull and medium in size. Its color is variable - from gray-green to dirty brown tones. Small spots and stripes of irregular shape are clearly visible, the abdomen is grayish. When the mating season begins, the scales turn black.

The fish has a large head, a large mouth, and like many predatory fish, it is studded with sharp teeth. They are small and arranged in several rows, like a piranha. There is a gill spine, like perciformes, but it is soft. The fins do not have spines. There are two of them on the back - one longer than the other. The largest are the pectoral fins; they are soft and round in shape. The tail also has a rounded shape. The appearance of rotan resembles gobies, which is why it is called the Amur goby.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zr7C1T_KCu4

Sexual maturity occurs at approximately two years of age. The firebrand goes to spawn in May-July. Each female lays about a thousand eggs. She catches them on plants and various objects that fall into the water. This is where her mission ends; the clutch is vigilantly guarded by the male.

Good survival rate of rotan was noted. It tolerates partial drying out of reservoirs, water pollution and freezing to the very bottom.

Nutritional features and diet

The menu of this predator includes:

• zooplankton,
• small invertebrates,
• frog caviar,
• small fish,
• tadpoles,
• benthos,
• leeches,
• amphibian larvae,
• newts,
• other small animals.

Sometimes he does not disdain carrion. Cannibalism is widespread among firebrands. They happily eat their own eggs and fry.

In a small body of water, where there are no other, no less ferocious, predators, rotan fish can destroy all other species in a short time, and therefore is considered dangerous. In large rivers and lakes, its numbers are controlled by pike, minnow, catfish and perch.

Lifestyle

In addition to the fact that rotan is an active and quite dangerous predatory fish, it is characterized by cannibalism. The diet of firebrands consists not only of fry and eggs of other representatives of the ichthyofauna, but also of their own relatives. Adult fish eat almost everything that moves - even leeches and tadpoles. The fry menu includes plankton and zoobenthos.

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Despite the small size of rotan fish, its appetite is terrifying. She does not know a sense of proportion, so she can cause the disappearance of other species of fish in a single pond. It is not for nothing that the firebrand is considered a trash fish, and the reservoirs in which it swims are considered biologically polluted.

Rotan is also food for larger predatory fish, such as pike and perch. Fishing for it is quite an interesting event, especially if it happens in winter.

What about the sculpin?

Here, in general, are all the main differences between rotan and goby.

And here, most likely, many will ask the question - what about the sculpin goby, what to do with it? And this question is far from idle, since the sculpin is included in the Red Book of Moscow and the Moscow Region, and, naturally, it is impossible to catch it. Just as often as rotan is called a goby and vice versa, a goby is called rotan, just as often fishermen consider the banal round goby to be a Red Book sculpin.

And the answer here, too, is quite simple. Outwardly, by all appearances, the sculpin really resembles a bull. It has the same slab body, its second dorsal and anal fins are as long as those of gobies. But the sculpin does not have a sucker, and this is its main difference. The sculpin, despite all its similarities with the family of gobies, an order of perciformes, actually belongs to the family of slingshots, an order of scorpiomorphs. That is, he is not even related to bulls!

So pay attention to the sucker! If there is a sucker, it is a goby; if there is no sucker, it is a sculpin. I would be glad to add a photo to the description of the sculpin, but I can’t - I’ve never caught one, like most anglers, by the way.

Fishing technique

No special jig play is required. Rotan also bites when standing. In this case, the jig should be kept at the very bottom, a couple of centimeters away, and make sure that it does not sink into the mud and old dead plants - this will make it easier for rotan to find it. But the best results are obtained by the most uncomplicated game of the jig - small swaying of the bait with stops, so it is easier for the predator to notice the bait and attack more furiously.

It is recommended that a small tip of skin or guts hang from the bait, which will play smoothly and oscillate in the water, attracting a predator. You can catch rotan with small edible twisters on a micro head, but in my opinion, using a natural bait still gives the best result. They can also catch it with a micro jig, but the reservoirs where it lives in large quantities and are usually heavily overgrown with vegetation, silted, which causes certain problems for the spinning player.

Usually, if rotan is present in the pond, bites will begin immediately. Having caught 3-4 individuals from one hole, you should move to the next, and so on in a circle. The hole rests for 10-15 minutes, and the bite resumes with renewed vigor. Rotan can be caught in bags. If you don’t mind catching anyone, it’s this merciless killer and devastator of water bodies.

Origin and characteristics

Rotan fish originates from the Amur River basin. It has many other names, for example, “firebrand” or “blade of grass.” The reason is the large head and body tapering towards the tail. Belongs to the order Perciformes and the firebrand family. By mistake, the fish can be confused with a goby. The species belong to different families, although they are externally similar.

If you look closely, you can see many differences:

• Head size. The difference is noticeable immediately. If in the first species it occupies a third of the entire body, then in the bull its size is much smaller.
• Pelvic fins. In the bull, this organ is single and looks large in the shape of a suction cup. Rotan has 2 small fins.

To understand what rotan fish looks like, you need to imagine an individual 10-15 cm in size with a gray-green or dirty brown color. The color tends to change depending on the degree of pollution of the reservoir, the bottom or the depth of penetration of sunlight into the water. During the mating season, there is a sharp difference between males and females. If the first ones begin to darken sharply, then the second ones lighten up. This time comes at the age of two. Some firebrands grow to large sizes and reach a length of 25 cm with a weight of 500-600 g. Such rotans are considered huge.

Origin of the species and description

Photo: Rotan

Rotan belongs to the ray-finned fish from the firebrand family; it is the only one that represents the firebrand genus. Rotan is a perch-like fish, it is also called grass or firebrand. Somewhere closer to the second half of the last century, the name Amur goby was attached to this fish. Of course, rotan is very similar in appearance to a goby, but calling it that is incorrect, because it has nothing to do with their family.

Not many people know how to distinguish a goby from a rotan, so it’s worth paying attention to this. The differences lie in the ventral fins: in the grass fin they are paired, rounded and small, while in the goby they are fused into one rather large sucker.

Rotan was brought from the East. It has taken root perfectly in the new conditions, literally occupying many bodies of water, displacing other fish. Perhaps this happened because the firebrand is very hardy, unpretentious in food, one might even say, indiscriminate, the vitality of this fish is simply amazing. If there are no other predatory fish in the reservoir, then voracious rotans can completely destroy roaches, dace and even crucian carp. Apparently, that’s why they are also called live-swallowers.

Video: Rotan

Rotan is distinguished by its huge head and huge insatiable mouth; they occupy almost one third of the fish’s entire body. Rotan is unpleasant to the touch, because... his entire body is covered with mucus, which often emits a not very pleasant aroma. In general, this fish is not large in size; a standard rotan weighs about 200 grams. Specimens weighing half a kilogram are very rare.

Rotan can be confused with a goby, but it differs significantly from other fish, having an unusual appearance, the features of which we will try to understand.

Culinary features

Another question that occupies many anglers is rotan, is the fish edible or not? The answer is clear - rotan is not a delicacy, but it is quite suitable for food. Its meat is white, dense and quite tasty. A properly fried firebrand is much tastier than crucian carp. Rotan cutlets cook quickly, do not fall apart in the pan and are suitable for any side dish. Especially good with potatoes or rice.

Another plus for cooks is the small number of bones. Like most predators, rotan lacks the small bones that bream, crucian carp and carp have. The spine and ribs are the entire bone structure of this fish, which can be removed without any problems.

Small rotan is fried with its head

The culinary features of this fish are not limited to fried meat and cutlets. Rotan is suitable for almost any type of cooking. Fish soup is cooked from it, producing a fairly fatty broth. Dumplings, dumplings and pies are made with rotan minced meat. A large firebrand pie is also very tasty. Boiled rotan meat can serve as the basis for fish salad or stuffed vegetables. Casseroles, omelettes, appetizers and even marinated fish are not excluded.

Cleaning rotan is easy. The scales are easily removed with a regular knife. The insides won't cause any extra trouble either. After removing them, it is recommended to rinse the carcass with running water, cut off the fins and can be cooked in any chosen way. There is no need to be afraid of the taste of mud or other unpleasant odor. Rotan, although it lives in rather muddy waters, has an active lifestyle and therefore the meat does not absorb foreign odors.

To prove that rotan can be prepared in different ways, it is worth citing three recipes.

Casserole

The name of the dish is “Rotan in scales”. In this case, the scales are potatoes cut into thin circles. Place half of the pre-fried potatoes in a baking dish. Then the fish carcasses fried in flour are placed in an even layer. On top is another layer of potatoes with onions and boiled eggs. Season everything with salt, pepper and sour cream. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.

Features of catching rotan

Fish balls

Pre-boiled fish is passed through a meat grinder or crushed in any other way. The resulting minced meat is mixed with mashed potatoes in a 1:1 ratio. Add a raw egg, butter, pepper, and salt. Hand-shaped balls can be prepared in two ways. Roll in breadcrumbs and fry in a frying pan. Or stew in tomato sauce.

Rotan under marinade

Boiled fish is cleaned of bones and cut into small pieces. Place in an even layer on a plate. Coarsely grated carrots and finely chopped onions are fried, add 3-4 tablespoons of tomato paste, one tablespoon of vinegar, a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, salt, pepper and spices to taste. The resulting marinade is poured over the fish pieces. The dish is put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Served as a snack with strong drinks.

What are the benefits of goby fish?

The rich composition of gobies makes them very useful for the human body. When consumed regularly, fish:

• improves the condition of the cardiac and vascular system;
• reduces bad cholesterol levels and stimulates healthy blood circulation;
• increases concentration and performance;
• has a beneficial effect on memory and promotes the synthesis of new brain cells;
• has a positive effect on the condition of the skin and hair;
• helps cope with apathy and depression;
• improves the functioning of the hormonal system;
• reduces blood pressure in hypertension and prevents the development of migraines.

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You can eat goby fish to prevent cancer. The fillet contains a large amount of antioxidants that prevent the growth and spread of malignant tumors.

The benefits of gobies in tomato sauce

Bulls in tomato sauce have a particularly bright and rich taste and are also highly accessible. The beneficial effect of fish on the body is that it:

• normalizes metabolic processes and helps get rid of constipation and diarrhea;
• slows down the aging of the body and helps maintain vigor and energy;
• protects against the development of atherosclerosis and dangerous cardiovascular diseases.

Eating bulls in tomato sauce is useful for preventing senile dementia. Regular consumption of fish reduces the likelihood of developing depression.

Area

The original habitat of rotan is the Amur basin in the middle and lower reaches, northwestern Sakhalin, northern Korea and northeastern China.

Many scientists consider the entry of rotan into the Lake Baikal basin in the 20th century as biological pollution.

In 1916, rotan was released into the reservoirs of St. Petersburg. Subsequently, it spread throughout Northern Eurasia, throughout most of Russia and many European countries.

Currently, rotan is recorded in the basins of the Volga, Dnieper, Don, Dniester, Danube, Irtysh, Ural, Styr, and Ob rivers. It lives in stagnant bodies of water where there are no conditions for the existence of other predators. It spreads during floods between floodplain reservoirs, and is also dispersed by humans.

Description and characteristics of the species

The endurance of rotan is amazing; this fish can withstand severe frosts and heat. It survives the lack of oxygen relatively easily. Eats almost any living and animal food.

Origin of fish

The rotan goby is the only representative of the firebrand genus in freshwater bodies. Its homeland is the Far East, where this fish lives in numerous oxbow rivers and floodplain lakes.

Such carelessness marked the beginning of the colonization of this fish in the water bodies of the Middle Zone. After less than 10 years, rotan could be caught in various ponds, digs and lakes far from St. Petersburg reservoirs. Around the same time, rotan also found its way into Lake Baikal.

Where is rotan found?

Rotan is an unpretentious fish that can survive in any conditions.

It can most often be found in such bodies of water as:

• Small shallow ponds and digs;
• Lakes with muddy bottoms;
• Bays and oxbows of rivers;
• Shallow swamps.

In such reservoirs, this fish prefers to stay in places with thickets of bottom vegetation, accumulations of snags and branches, various debris (tires, submerged metal frames, etc.)

Amur sleeper lives less often in rivers. There it is actively destroyed by other freshwater predators. Pike, pike perch, and large perch hunt for firebrands. For the same reason, it is practically not found in large reservoirs and deep lakes.

What size does it grow to?

It is a predator, but rotan does not reach large sizes. The length of its body is usually no more than 20-35 cm, and its weight is up to 300-400 grams.

Individuals 50-60 cm long are rarely found in isolated reservoirs not visited by fishermen. The largest rotan is found in reservoirs of Siberia; it can reach a weight of significantly more than half a kilogram. A huge rotan, weighing more than 700 grams, is considered very rare.

Rotan and goby, differences and similarities

Very often, many fishermen confuse the smut with the Amur goby, because indeed, rotan looks similar.

The main differences between a firebrand and a goby are:

• Larger head;
• Slight difference in size of posterior and anterior dorsal fins;
• Shorter anal fin located under the second dorsal fin;
• Small paired ventral fins.

The similarities of these fish include:

• Slab-shaped body with flattening in the tail;
• Dark, brownish-green color.

Important. The main difference between a firebrand and a goby is the presence in the latter species of fish of wide pelvic fins fused into a kind of sucker

This feature is due to the need for a small fish to stay on the rocks during strong waves, high tide or low tide.

Using rotan as live bait

A small caught rotan no more than 7-8 cm long is usually used as live bait.

Due to its survivability and high mobility, rotan is used as live bait when fishing for pike, catfish, burbot perch, and, less commonly, pike perch and bersh. Since rotan bites all year round, it is used for catching predatory fish species using both summer and winter live bait gear.

They attach the bait fish to the back, piercing the body of the fish with a sting just below the first dorsal fin. In this case, the baited rotan should not hang strictly horizontally, but have a slight “roll” towards the head part. This is necessary so that the live bait does not fall asleep on the hook and remains alive for as long as possible.

When fishing for large rotans and using doubles, live bait is rigged as follows:

• The double is removed from the leash;
• They pass the leash through the gills, being careful not to injure them;
• Pull the leash out through the baitfish’s mouth;
• They put the double on a leash brought out through the baitfish’s mouth;
• By gently pulling the leash in the opposite direction, the double is fixed in the baitfish’s mouth.

With this method of attaching a small rotan fish to the hook of live bait gear, the predator will not be able to knock the fish off the hook. At the same time, the fish does not lose its mobility and does not fall asleep.

Important. You should not use firebrands as live bait for fishing in a body of water where they are not found.

Several rotans that fall off the hook or fall into the water can lead to the total colonization of the reservoir with this weed fish and a decrease in the number of other species.

What is rotan: description and area

Thanks to active bites, good taste and moderate fat content, this type of predatory fish is a popular object of sport and recreational fishing. Resistance to sudden temperature changes, oxygen starvation, polluted and stagnant water has made the firebrand a frequent resident of many lakes, rivers, ponds and reservoirs in most regions of Russia. Rotan lives en masse in Lake Baikal, the basins of the Volga, Ural, Don, Irtysh, Kama, and reservoirs of the Moscow and Leningrad regions.

Now the domestic range of rotan, with some uninhabited areas, stretches from the Russian-Chinese border (Ussuri, Urgun, Amur) to the Kaliningrad region, Neman, Narva and Lake Peipsi.

The firebrand is quite easy to distinguish from other representatives of the ichthyofauna by its characteristic appearance:

• large head (1/3 body length);
• the second dorsal fin is larger than the first;
• rounded body with a thin caudal peduncle;
• medium-sized dense scales covered with mucus;
• a giant mouth with an elongated lower jaw and several rows of small sharp teeth that are periodically renewed;
• low position of the eyes;
• grayish belly;
• the main color is ash-green and brown-brown;
• lighter stripes and spots are randomly scattered on the sides.

Due to the similarity of the exterior, it is important to know the difference between rotan and bull. You need to pay attention to the pelvic fins - the firebrand has two of them, they are quite small and have a round shape. In representatives of gobies, this paired organ for swimming has fused and became like a large suction cup.

To learn more:

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Fish recipes

The dense and at the same time tender white and pink rotan meat is a real delicacy. You can prepare a wide variety of dishes from it - from the most ordinary frying and smoking to gourmet fish with bazhe sauce.

In sour cream with garlic

The fish is cleaned as usual - the insides are removed, and if desired, the fins and gills are removed. Many people do not spend time on the gills, but simply throw their heads away while eating.

Mix flour with salt and pepper, you can add any spices to taste. Each fish is rolled in salted flour and fried over high heat until golden brown.

Fish soup

This fish soup can be cooked from rotan and perch. It is cooked both over a fire and on a stove. If you catch a lot of small fish on your fishing rod, but you don’t want to bother with it, then you can prepare a rich soup with a minimum of effort.

Fish for broth is not scaled. It is thoroughly washed, the gills and entrails are removed. A portion of fish is tied in gauze and dipped into boiling water. As soon as the eyes of the firebrand turn white, it is removed and a new portion is added. There may be several such “bookmarks”.

Potatoes and spices are added to the finished broth: roots, pepper, seasonings. When the potatoes are cooked, add several fully peeled large fish, herbs and crushed garlic. In a couple of minutes the ear is ready. As it cools, it acquires a jelly-like consistency. It’s especially delicious over the fire!

Firebrand cutlets

The small firebrand is washed and cleaned. The heads and large bones are removed, and everything else is twisted into minced meat with the addition of onion, a piece of fresh lard, garlic, salt and ground black pepper. Separately, soak a piece of bread or loaf in milk. Knead the minced meat thoroughly, adding softened bread and an egg. He must stand for a while. If excess liquid appears, it is drained.

Form cutlets, roll in breadcrumbs or flour and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Served with any side dish.

Is ratan fish edible or not?

Description of rotan fish

This aggressive fish is known for its gluttony and ability to quickly adapt to the conditions of any body of water where it finds itself.

Appearance

This fish has a large head with a huge mouth, which is why it got its name. Gill covers are located on the sides, and the teeth are in several rows, very sharp and periodically renewed. The body of this fish can be slippery due to specially produced mucus, thanks to which rotan can move freely. The color of rotan can be varied (black, greenish, brown, yellow, gray) and depends on the habitat - the color of the water and the nature of the bottom.

Typically, rotan grows in small sizes, reaching a length of fourteen to twenty-five centimeters and a weight of half a kilogram. As a rule, rotans live on average four to five years, although some long-lived individuals can live up to seven years.

Rotan has very good eyesight. Thanks to it, rotan can examine any detail underwater at a distance of up to five meters.

Types of rotans

This fish belongs to the goby suborder, firebrand family. In total, it is customary to distinguish three types of this fish, but in Russian reservoirs one is found - the one that we usually call “firebrand”. This rotan is dark in color and its head is huge, making up almost a third of its body.

In addition to the firebrand, rotans are called by various names, such as: “goby”, “wrasse”, “grass”, “blacksmith”, “farrier”, “zelenchak”, “gorlach”, “round timber”, “toad”, “ Crookshanks", "Sandpiper", "Rooster" and others.

Habitat

The homeland of this fish is considered to be the Amur River basin, the Russian Far East, northern China and North Korea - from this area rotans began to spread to the reservoirs of other regions.

At the same time, scientists perceived the fact of the appearance of rotans in the Lake Baikal basin in the 20th century as biological pollution. Rotan spread actively in Russian and European reservoirs in the last century, and now it can be found in many large lakes and ponds

Thus, it lives in the basins of the Dnieper, Don, Dniester, Volga, Danube, Ural, Irtysh, Ob and other rivers, while rotan loves reservoirs with standing water, in which there are no opportunities for other predators to live.

Usually there are two reasons for the appearance of rotan in a reservoir: either it was carried by a person, or the fish got here during a water spill during the spring flood.

This fish can live, including in very polluted water bodies, and also chooses to live in places rich in a variety of aquatic vegetation.

Diet

This fish is a predator. At first, newly emerged fry choose zooplankton, small invertebrates, and benthos as food. Grown-up individuals feed on small fish, leeches, larvae and tadpoles. But carrion and caviar are not food for these fish.

However, rotans also show signs of cannibalism, and, not rarely, they can feed on smaller representatives of their own species.

When fishing, rotan very greedily grabs the bait, so it is very difficult to pull the hook out of its huge mouth. Once in a small lake or pond, rotan multiplies at a breakneck speed, becomes numerous and can cause the disappearance of all other species of fish in this reservoir.

Spawning

Rotan becomes sexually mature at the age of two years. The breeding season for these fish usually occurs in late spring and early summer (May-July). Each female lays about one thousand eggs on numerous plants, and then the male takes over as guard.

Fishing for rotan

The herb prefers a shallow coastal zone with a maximum concentration of fry, small crustaceans, amphibians, and bottom larvae, which serve as its food base. In such a situation, catching fish with a classic long-range donka is impractical due to frequent difficult recasts. In open warm water, the best tackle for rotan will be a fly rod.

In spring, autumn and on cloudy summer days, light spinning rods, such as microjigs, prove effective. Also, for quiet and accurate catching of large rotan, a zherlitsa or a bottle donka are suitable. In winter, fish are caught from under the ice using a live bait bait or a nodding rod.

Bait selection

The voracity and omnivorous nature of the species determines a wide selection of baits of animal origin. The predatory rotan fish bites well on:

• crawling, earth and dung worms;
• bloodworms, maggots, caddis flies;
• meat of snails, mollusks, amphibians;
• small bait fish;
• artificial baits.

It is often practiced to catch rotan using chicken meat and skin, pieces of beef and lard, and strips of fresh fish. Such baits allow you to concentrate on catching predators and practically reduce to zero the likelihood of bites from carp species: crucian carp, roach, rudd, etc. In overpopulated reservoirs, rotan can consistently peck on some plant baits (peas, bread, corn, dough).

To learn more:

Types and description of marinka fish

Fishing with a float rod

Despite the light weight of the fish and moderate resistance when fishing, the tackle for rotan should not be too thin and withstand a tensile load of several kilograms. This is due to the peculiarity of the predator’s habitat, which is replete with aquatic vegetation and bottom debris.

The best option would be a green or brown monofilament line with a thickness of 0.1-0.15 mm. Installing a leash is not necessary, but in order not to tear off the entire equipment when hooked, it is better to arrange a separate installation of the hook using 20-30 cm of thinner fishing line 0.08-0.12 mm.

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of hook for rotan, which should be large in size and with a long shank (No. 4-8 according to the international classification). Otherwise, the angler will constantly be faced with the problem of pulling out a deeply swallowed bait. For the same reason, you should always have a long extractor with you.

The rotan bite is quite specific. He often gently takes the bait with his lips and slowly chews it. At the same time, the swimming trunk trembles slightly, but remains in place. If you don't make a short and sharp hook within 1-2 seconds, the hook will end up deep in the predator's throat and it will be difficult to get it back.

Despite the fact that rotan is a bottom-dwelling fish, it carefully monitors the space above its head and immediately attacks prey swimming nearby. That is why it is advisable to adjust the tackle so that the nozzle is 5-10 cm above the bottom level.

Catching rotan with silicone baits

When using artificial baits (maggots, bloodworms, worms, crustaceans), it is advisable to treat them with an attractant based on animal blood. If this is not possible, just wipe the nozzle with lard (lard) or roll it in a crushed piece of chicken, beef or pork.

Fishing for rotan with a spinning rod requires the use of ultralight rods with minimal testing. In addition to silicone baits and jig heads, you can use micro-spinners and small wobblers, for example Yo-Zuri Snap Beans, Pontoon 21 Cheerful 34 MR. The most catchy for rotan is twitching wiring with short and frequent jerks.

To learn more:

Description of bluefish fish: habitats and fishing methods

Fishing with a bottle

In modern fishing for predatory fish, the classic “circle” tackle has been successfully replaced by a more accessible and cheaper device made from sealed plastic containers with a volume of 0.5-1.0 liters. At the same time, the operating principle and installation diagram of a bottle donk are not much different from the original. The modernized tackle also has a reeled supply of fishing line, a sinker (sliding or blind), a leash with a hook on which live bait is located.

In the loaded position, the plastic bottle floats vertically and is 2/3 hidden under water due to the tension of the sinker. At the moment of a bite, the rotan pulls the fishing line and pulls it out from under the rubber band, which serves as a stop-limiter. This leads to a weakening of the tension and the bottle floating up in a horizontal position, which is a signal for the fish to bite.

The reverse scheme can also be used, when the bottle from a horizontal one takes a vertical position at the moment the rotan winds the entire supply of fishing line.