The common bleak is a fish of the carp family (Cyprinidae), which is characterized by its small size and pelagic lifestyle in the middle and upper layers of the reservoir. This species forms its own genus of the same name from several closely related taxa. In addition to the main name, the official term is often used - bleak, which is equivalent to everyday nicknames - verkhovodka, sebel, silyavka, bakleyka, shakleya, verkhoplavka.
Fish with different names
There are a number of incorrect speech forms when a bleak is called by the name of another fish:
- chebak – Siberian roach (Rutilus rutilus lacustris);
- sprat - Black Sea or Baltic sprat (Sprattus sprattus);
- white-eye – glanders (Ballerus sapa);
- blueweed – bitterweed (Rhodeus sericeus);
- the bystryanka is a small fish (Alburnoides bipunctatus), living only on the current in rivers with well-aerated water;
- verkhovka – bunting (Leucaspius delineatus).
To distinguish bleaks, bystryankas and verkhovoks, which are similar in appearance, it is enough to know the number of scales in the lateral line of each species: 52-55, 44-50 and 12-14, respectively. There are also a number of size, behavioral and exterior differences.
Description
Bleak fish has a silver body color, sometimes with a green or blue tint. The back is dark, the belly and sides are lighter and noticeably shine in the water. When a cape swims nearby, you can notice these overflows. The body is oblong, torpedo-shaped. Flattened on the sides, very streamlined and without protrusions. The lower jaw is pushed forward and has a small protrusion that fits into the upper jaw. The mouth is curved upward, which is its distinctive feature. The head has a pointed shape, the eyes on the sides are large, with very dark pupils. The fins on the back are gray; at the base they can have red and yellow colors. The caudal fin is identical. The anal fin of the sebel has a more elongated shape, due to which it appears longer than the others.
The scales do not adhere well to the body and are not tightly attached to the skin of the fish. As a result, with any friction or touching hard objects, such as a stone, boat, sticks or hands, it immediately loses it. Scales are rare. The number of scales in the lateral line is 52-55, which distinguishes this fish from some similar species. It is on this lateral line that there are the smallest channels through which the fish subtly senses the environment. By perceiving the smallest fluctuations and pulsations of water flows, the fish can sense danger without even seeing it. In the mouth of the selyava there are pharyngeal teeth growing in two rows. They are located in the gill arches. They are curved and have jagged edges.
In the upper part of the pharynx there is a horny protrusion - a millstone that helps the teeth grind food.
On both sides of the head, bleak fish have nasal openings with a cluster of olfactory sensors.
The average size of a bleak is 15 cm, but there are some individuals that reach 24 cm. The largest bleak has reached an incredible size - 300 mm! The weight of fish usually does not exceed 60 grams; it is extremely rare to catch a fish weighing about 100 grams.
Appearance of bleak
Sebel is a small carp fish with a short life cycle of 5-6 years (crucian carp - 10-12, roach - 18-20, carp 30-35). During this time, it manages to grow to 12-15 cm (50-60 g). But sometimes larger, trophy specimens are found. The largest bleak reaches a length of 20-25 cm and weighs 80-100 g. Features of the appearance of the bleak include:
- elongated, low body with straight outlines of the ridge and a slightly convex belly;
- a slanted caudal peduncle with a large dark fin with a deep notch;
- strongly compressed sides;
- medium-sized cycloid scales of a metallic color with a mirror reflection;
- gray-blue back with olive tint;
- an extended lower jaw with a curved edge, forming a terminal, semi-upper mouth;
- light belly;
- pale yellowish or ashy fins.
To learn more:
Subtleties of eel fishing: places and gear
The scales of the bleak do not fit tightly enough on the body and are easily removed when the fish comes into contact with hard surfaces.
Dark tops and silvery bottoms are the classic color scheme of pelagic fish, where it is important to remain undetected by bottom predators and waterfowl in bright sunlight.
Differences between verkhovka and bleak fish
To distinguish bleak fish from verkhovka, pay attention to the number of scales, because outwardly the fish look similar. The silyavka has 52-55 of them along the lateral line. Other species have less. Sintya has a darker back and a lighter belly. The size of the fish also differs: the verkhovka has smaller dimensions than the bleak, a wider and thicker body in relation to its length and a blunt nose. Shakleya has a somewhat elongated lower jaw, which fits into the toe of the upper jaw and therefore the mouth seems to be directed upward. Unlike hers, the muzzle of the Verkhovna looks straight ahead.
Lifestyle
From mid-spring until autumn cold snaps, sebel stays at the upper edge of the water at a depth of 50-70 cm. Thanks to the schooling reflex, it is able to form large schools that constantly move around the reservoir in search of food. If there is a high risk of attacks from a predator (perch, pike, chub, pike perch), the perch tries to form small groups of several dozen individuals. This approach makes the flock less noticeable and much more maneuverable. The small bleak fish has excellent sprinting abilities, which greatly increases its chances of survival.
Very modest dimensions do not allow it to develop maximum speed among aquatic plants, which act as a serious oncoming obstacle. That is why sebel tries to avoid overgrown areas, preferring clean and deep reaches that provide many paths for lightning-fast escape.
In the morning and evening, the bleak comes to the surface to hunt for small insects, which it snatches on the fly or tries to knock down with splashes, jumping high out of the water. The same behavior is typical for cloudy and rainy days, when, due to wet wings, swarms of mosquitoes and various midges fly over the very surface of the reservoir. As the cold season approaches, sebel begins to gradually slide to depth. In winter, the bleak does not feed, but finds comfortable places in pits next to other peaceful representatives of cyprinids, where it waits for freezing in a state of suspended animation.
Bleak lifestyle
Bleak leads a gregarious lifestyle. Although it is scared away by pike and perch, they also do not mind feeding on bleak. One of the features of this fish is that it is the most numerous of all fish. Bleak is found everywhere - from small streams to large lakes and rivers. Loves sandy and pebble places with a lot of oxygen. And it can live in all artificial and natural reservoirs. Adapts to slightly increased salinity of water. It must be said that lake bleak is slightly larger in size than river bleak.
In terms of behavior in water, this is a very active fish. It shows its movement on the surface of the water and can jump out after insects.
Habitats of sebel
The range of the silyavka is quite extensive, it includes water bodies of the European part of Russia, the basins of the Azov, Black, White, Caspian and Baltic seas. For bleak, the average temperature of the living environment is not very important. The fish feels good in both warm and cool water. She takes the choice of the speed limit of the reservoir much more seriously, avoiding fast currents, and does not like overgrown rivers, ponds, lakes, or canals.
To learn more:
Pike perch: habits of sea and river species
Optimal conditions for silyavka are observed in calm lowland rivers with gentle banks and winding beds (Lopastnya, Klyazma, Kuma, Seversky Donets, Laba, Tosno). Oxygen deficiency and the abundance of floating algae can negatively affect the biology of the floating algae, which is why it is practically not found in stagnant ponds and lakes.
Bleak size and other interesting facts
Did you know that bleak is famous not only for its interesting fishing. Fish is an excellent bait for catching predators, a tasty ram or an excellent fry.
It turns out that there are “secrets” and interesting facts from the life of bleak that few people know about, even in the fishing community. We will gradually collect them and publish them for everyone to see. So, let's begin.
Maximum size of bleak
The largest bleak caught by fishermen in Russia looks more like a medium-sized herring than the silver fish we are used to.
The size of the “little giant” from the tip of the tail to the snout was 25 cm. Weight - 107 grams.
Typically, the fish grows to an average of 13-15 cm, occasionally reaching up to 18 cm. The average weight of the perch varies around 40-60 grams.
Pearls made from bleak scales
The small and numerous bleak fish has its own history, and was a very popular and valuable fish in the distant past - artificial pearls were made from its scales.
This production was first mastered in China, which is probably why the finished mixture was called “oriental essence.” Later, already in the 18th century, such manufactories began to open in Europe, in France, where the silver essence extracted from the scales was diluted with glue and paint was obtained to coat glass balls imitating pearls.
To prepare the essence, the scales were scraped, soaked in water and stirred until all the silvery grains fell away from it. Water purified from scales with silvery grains actually represents “oriental essence.”
The benefits of bleak in a pond
It is known that in commercial fishing bleak is considered a trash fish, but in reality this is not at all the case. It turns out that it plays a decisive role in nature, since it is included in the food chains of many biocenoses of water bodies and sometimes serves as the only food for valuable fish species - asp, pike perch, pike, perch, etc.
In addition, bleaks make up a significant part of the diet for waterfowl and fish-eating birds, as well as for some mammals, allowing them to feed their offspring during the breeding season.
Read more about life and catching bleak in the article “Description and photo of bleak fish“
Bleak speed
Did you know that the speed of movement of the bleak is only 50 cm/s. For all its restlessness and nimbleness, compared to other fish, it is not so fast.
So, in 10 seconds an alarmed fish will swim only 5 meters. But, for example, when frightened, a roach can cover up to 12 meters in 10 seconds, and a rudd can cover up to 10 meters.
Bleak fish vision
The bleak's vision is considered very acute, and the eyes are the primary organ in the feeding process. However, this is not entirely true. The most vigilant inhabitants of our reservoirs are daytime predatory fish: pike, asp, trout, etc. Their vision allows them to see up to 12 meters.
The bleak sees well at a distance half that of river predators, and clearly only within 1 meter.
The lateral line helps her in searching for food. With its help, the fish catches the slightest vibrations of a crumb of bread or an insect falling into the water.
However, the bleak's vision is the main motivator of its activity in the pond. It is known that blinded fish become lethargic and stop feeding. In the daytime, bleaks move and stay in well-lit areas of the reservoir.
And with the onset of darkness and a decrease in illumination below 0.01 Lux (in terms of light level, if there is only a quarter of the moon in the sky at night), they stop moving, go to the bottom and freeze.
Are there a lot of bones in the bleak?
Is bleak bony in gastronomic terms? The answer is clear - no. Of course, the fish has bones. But they are so small due to its small size that it is difficult to detect them visually.
There is a ridge and breast bones located along the abdomen. The back and tail are just pure meat. Plus, heat treatment - be it “sprats”, frying, stewing bleak - completely dissolves all the small bones. If you compare gastronomy, that bleak is the same as sprat, only freshwater.
What does bleak eat?
The majority of the diet consists of zooplankton, which is freely transported by water masses and is distinguished by a variety of nutritional ingredients - larvae, eggs, worms, small crustaceans (daphnia, cyclops, diaptomus, bosmina). The bleak feels a special feeding craving for small insects:
- mosquitoes, flies, midges;
- centipedes, husks, biting midges;
- butterflies, thick legs, lion flies;
- stem beetles, phorids, tachinids.
During the season of mass release of honeydew, bleak can feed exclusively on these insects, tirelessly patrolling the surface of the reservoir in search of them. Wind-blown plant seeds (pollen) and a small amount of small algae serve as minor food. Sebel is also partial to animal and plant foods that are atypical for a reservoir, which are used as bait when fishing - bread crumb, dough, dung worms and especially maggots.
About Sebel
Sebel (sibel, perch) is a prominent representative of the sebel species. It lives in almost all flowing freshwater bodies of central Russia, as well as in a number of rivers in the southern part of the country. It lives mainly in the upper layers of water up to 1.5 m, feeding on insects and plant elements, such as algae.
Sebel is a schooling fish. One school of sebel can number up to 2000 individuals. This fish is small in size - the maximum length of individual individuals is 15-23 cm. But what are the advantages of this fish and how to catch it?
Bleak spawning
Sexual maturity of the perch occurs in the 2-3rd year of life with a body length of 5-7 cm. Eggs are deposited in shallow water in several portions (3-4 pieces) at a water temperature of +15-17°C (late April-June). If the weather is warm, the break between spawning sessions is several days. In a cold spring situation, spawning lasts for a month or more.
Bleak is highly fertile (300-400 eggs per 1 g of weight). The size of one clutch is 3-5 thousand sticky eggs, which are attached to plants, snags, and hard substrate. The incubation period for the development of larvae lasts 3-7 days and depends on the degree of heating of the spawning area. When the fry swim, they gather in schools and begin feeding on plankton. By the end of the first year of life, sebel grows to 3-5 cm in length and weighs 6-8 g.
To learn more:
The royal fish of the sturgeon family - sterlet
Spawning
Bleak begins to spawn at the age of 2 years. The process begins in early May in the southern regions, in the North - by the end of the month, the duration of spawning sometimes drags on until almost mid-July, depending on weather conditions. According to Valdai fishermen, bleak spawns three times: the first - during the bird cherry blossom, the second - when the rye is earing, and the third - when it is filling. Large individuals spawn first, followed by two and three year olds after 2 weeks.
Conditions required for spawning
- water temperature 14-15 degrees
- sunny weather for 3-4 days
If the weather is inclement, the process stops and resumes after the desired temperature has been established.
Types of bleak
The closest relative of the silyavka is the Azov-Black Sea shemaya (Alburnus mento), which can grow up to 35 cm with a weight of 600-800 g. But usually standard specimens weighing 200-250 g are present in catches. The species received its name for its high nutritional value (pers. "Shah-mai" - king's fish). The taxon's range covers the rivers of the Black Sea-Azov-Caspian basin and part of the slightly saline sea area. The fish is found in the Don, Kuban, Terek, Kura, Belaya, and Laba. The food consists of insects, zooplankton, crustaceans, worms, larvae and, to a lesser extent, fry. In appearance, shemaya is similar to bleak and differs mainly in size, wider body, and orange color of the pectoral fins.
Fishing and bait
It is best to catch sebel in places with a reverse flow, as well as at the junctions between the backwater and the constant flow of the river. To catch sebel in the summer, use a light rod, 2.5 to 5 m long, made of any material. For a more effective result, hooks with size markings from 2.5 to 4.5 mm are used, and a light sinker is attached to the fishing line 10-25 cm from the hook, ensuring that the hook with bait is immersed to the required fishing depth. Baits can be used quite different: various insect larvae, worms, bloodworms, shitik, maggots, bread crumbs, semolina, pearl barley. To attract a larger school of fish to the fishing site, you can feed Sebel by throwing bait into the water or installing special feeders with bait.
And in conclusion: in one trip to a pond you can catch up to 3 kg of this fish, which has good taste and is perfect for fish dishes, as well as for making ram from Sebel. With appropriate preparation, catching Sebel becomes an exciting and interesting activity that is important for any fisherman!
Catching bleak
Fishing for sebael requires the use of light float tackle with a main line of 0.14-0.16 mm and a leash of 0.1-0.12 mm. Due to the light weight of the fish and the minimal risk of snagging, many fishermen do not use a thinner leader. The float is selected to be light, but with sufficient weight for long casting (1-3 g). Hooks should be as small as possible (No. 16-22 according to the international standard) due to the modest size of the sebel's mouth. Bloodworms and maggots are suitable as bait. The usual level of bait lowering is 5-10 cm from the surface of the reservoir. Bleak is often caught with fly fishing gear, using a fly or bait for bait.
The caught perch can be placed in an aquarium or used as catch bait for pike, pike perch, perch, asp, and chub. Dried and canned bleak has high gastronomic qualities; it is a real delicacy. The fish is fried, stewed, baked and used as an ingredient in cutlets, meatballs, and pie filling.
Natural enemies of bleak
Photo: A couple of bleaks
The bleak has a great many enemies, mainly predatory fish, among which are:
- perch;
- pike;
- asp;
- chub;
- pike perch.
Predators hunt not only for fish, but also enjoy their eggs and fry with pleasure. In some reservoirs, bleak is the basis of the diet of many predatory fish, which destroy it in large quantities.
Danger awaits a small fish from the air; birds are also not averse to snacking on such tasty and fatty fish.
Therefore, bleak often becomes a victim:
- tern;
- loon;
- seagulls;
- ducks;
- heron.
Birds easily fish out bleak, which gather in flocks at the surface of the water. In addition to birds and predatory fish, the enemies of bleak include such waterfowl as otter, muskrat and mink. Even among insects, bleak has ill-wishers; eggs and fish fry are often eaten by swimming beetles.
Among the enemies of the bleak can, without a doubt, be considered fishermen who try to catch a dexterous fish in various ways: using a float rod, spinning rod, fly fishing. Knowing about the voraciousness of the fish, anglers use a whole range of different baits, ranging from butterflies, flies, maggots and worms to simple bread crumbs, steamed cereals and dough. Bleak is often caught as live bait for the subsequent capture of large predator fish (for example, pike).
Interesting fact: The smart bleak knows a trick: when a predatory fish catches up with it, it can jump out of the water onto the shore and then return back to its native element. In the meantime, the danger will pass, and the predator fish will be far away.
Where is bleak found?
Bleak is a common fish.
The common bleak is widespread in much greater numbers than other representatives of its genus. They are found in reservoirs almost throughout Europe, except for the southernmost countries. It can be found in the Crimea and the Caucasus, but in Siberia and Turkmenistan it has been replaced by other species related to bleak. Sometimes bleak is found even on the eastern slope of the Urals, but this is very rare. It is still not very clear how such a small fish was able to spread over the ridge of the Ural Mountains.
Bleak is so widespread that it can be found in almost all reservoirs of Russia - it lives both in large rivers and in small rivers, almost streams. There is also a lot of it in flowing and flood lakes, in flowing ponds. Bleak loves depth and calm waters, but sometimes it can be found in places with fast currents. The bleak's favorite habitats are near bridges, piles, and rafts. If the river flows within the city, this fish most often stays near the sewer pipes through which sewage flows.
Where trees grow along the banks of ponds and rivers, bleaks willingly swim in their shade, but at the same time try to avoid lush aquatic vegetation. Only young animals can be found in algae. From the moment the river opens until late autumn, that is, until the moment when the fish hide in deep holes for the winter, bleaks appear in large quantities in plain sight. It’s not difficult to notice them - I think any of us have seen a flock of bleaks frolicking in the water.
Bleaks love to live near city drains and wastewater treatment pipes.
Jumping out of the water, they show either their blue backs or their silver sides, sparkling in the sun like small living precious stones. The bleak is kept at a depth of a maximum of 70 centimeters. But in clear weather, as we have already said, either singly or in a flock, they jump out of the water to immediately return back. In this way, bleaks catch various midges, which constitute their main diet. When you see that a whole flock of bleaks quickly jumps out of the water and scatters in different directions, it means that the hunt for it has already begun, and a predator has appeared nearby - perch, pike or asp. The latter, by the way, is a special admirer of delicious bleak.
Bleaks are very nimble, they are constantly on the move and endlessly chase midges - despite their modest size, this fish is quite voracious. She hunts almost all day long. As soon as any insect, grain or tiny leaf falls into the water, the bleak immediately rushes to catch it to taste it. These fish feed on flies, mosquitoes, and various types of midges. Bleaks also eat eggs and tiny fry of fish of other species.
Let us repeat, fish hunt even after sunset, when many mosquitoes and midges descend lower to the water. The bleaks begin to jump out of the water even more intensely. Fish activity also increases before a thunderstorm or rain. Ichthyologists suggest that such habits of bleaks are due to the fact that they try to spray insects with water so that they fall to the surface of a river or pond, where a cunning fish will catch them.
Often bleaks jump out of the water.
By the way, the process of jumping out of the water itself is also very interesting, practiced by many generations of these wonderful fish. The bleak swims for a while in one direction or the other, then abruptly turns over on its side, bends over and hits the water with its tail. Thanks to this, the fish seems to fly above the surface, make a semicircle in the air and fall back, splashing water.
The bleak itself very often becomes the object of hunting, and not only by predatory fish. Some species of water birds, such as terns, gulls, and loons, feed almost exclusively on bleak, since it most often stays on the surface. By the way, this is why some call bleak “verkhovodka” or “verkhovka”. In fact, this is the name of another, even smaller fish, the oatmeal (Leucaspius).
Feeding bleak by fishermen
With widespread human intervention in nature, flora and fauna, the diet of aquatic inhabitants is expanding. Today, fishermen throw kilograms of selected food into reservoirs. Therefore, the fish, even in conditions of a weak natural food base of the reservoir, do not experience problems with nutrition.
The place needs to be fed, all the hardened anglers think. And they throw in a few balls of selected bait. The bleak instantly spins around and plucks off pieces of aromatic food that sink to the bottom. Then it gets hooked and prevents you from catching “normal” fish. By the way, read how to repel bleak on our website.
Blowfly larvae - maggots
Dough, bread crumbs, grain, store-bought bait get into the water with a bang. And the bleak will never miss the fishermen’s favorite baits:
- blowfly larva
- maggot,
- caddisfly,
- slobber.
Plant seeds and pollen that fall into the water do not go to waste. Bleak happily picks them up.
Tackle
For catching bleak, fishing gear for, for example, crucian carp or chebak is also suitable. But some avid fishermen usually have a special fishing rod, which is called a “bleak”.
Since this fish bites frequently and you constantly have to hold the fishing rod in your hands, you need a light rod for catching bleak, 3-4 meters long.
When there is a large concentration of fish in the reservoir, the bite occurs at the moment when the hook with bait slowly sinks to the bottom after casting. Therefore, it is better to choose a light sinker (no more than 0.5 g) and select an appropriate float for it.
It is better to take a feather-shaped float and adjust it so that it is always in a vertical position. In this case, even the slightest bite will not escape your attention.
The fishing line is taken no more than 0.1 mm, hooks - 2.5 or 3 (16-17 with import standardization).
