Common zander: a description of the fish, what it looks like and where it is found, a predator or not

Pike perch is a predatory fish with juicy meat, which is very much in demand by consumers. This fish has very high water quality requirements. And he is gluttonous, yielding in his appetite only to the pike. Pike perch fillet is famous for its delicious taste, delicate texture and white hue with an attractive aroma. Pike perch is considered a valuable commercial fish, therefore it is grown everywhere in fish farms.

Description of the fish

Experts say that pike perch originated on the territory of modern Siberia in the Pliocene era. After analyzing the discovered artifacts, it was found that this fish has not undergone any remarkable changes during its long evolutionary development.This species is found in almost all water bodies around the globe, regardless of whether they contain fresh river or s alty sea water.

Zander is easily recognizable by the presence of pointed teeth on its jaws, similar to fangs, which allow it to effectively hold and capture prey. Typically, males have more of these fangs than females, making them a key indicator of sex. In addition, this fish has many tiny but sharp teeth in its mouth, a common feature among predatory fish.

Main features of zander:

1. Zander's head is flat, elongated.
2. His body is long and laterally flattened, and his mouth has evolved to allow it to open wide.
3. Its carcass is covered with small dense scales, and there are also hard spikes on the first extreme fin and sharp notches along the entire surface of the gill cover.
4. Dorsal fins are either placed at a distance from each other, or remain fused; the first fin is distinguished by prickly protruding needles, while the second fin has only the first ray, and all the others remain soft.
5. The back of the fish is greenish gray and the belly is white; there are also eight to ten brownish-black transverse stripes along each side.
6. The dorsal and caudal fins are webbed, all covered with dark spots, and the lateral, lower and anal fins are light yellow.
7. His eyes are large and bulging - they rotate, so that during the hunt he is able to see almost 180 degrees - both in front and behind him from below or above.

Zanders weigh up to twenty kilograms with a maximum length of 110-135 cm.

Varieties

Zander is not one species, but rather a group of species that make up a whole genus. There are three types of pike perch in Russia: two in fresh water and one in sea water.

Ordinary

This type of zander looks impressive - it grows to a length of more than one meter and weighs up to ten kilograms and even more. Experts say that this is not the upper limit of their growth. Adult males have large fangs, much larger than those of females.

Lightfeather

This type of fish reaches more than a meter in length and weighs up to twelve kilograms. Its body shape is slightly elongated and slender, the surface covered with tightly fitting scales. As the zander matures, it becomes thinner on the sides. Its jaws are lined with sharpened teeth. It has two dorsal fins, as well as a notch on the caudal fin that distinguishes it from other animal species.

Depending on which body of water it lives in, its color varies from greenish brown to mustard brown or closer to a yellow tint. The underside is usually white or yellow, and a white border runs along the edge of the caudal fin.

Volzhsky

Volga pike perch is relatively small, reaches a maximum length of 40-48 cm and weighs no more than three kilograms. Its external features resemble those of other species of this family, however, it is distinguished by the absence of sharp fangs. This species leads a group life and lives in the Caspian and Black Sea waters.

Canadian

This species of river pike is not particularly large, up to 90 cm in length and weighing about 3.9-4.2 kg. Its body is cylindrical and covered in tightly fitting scales. The color of the fish is predominantly dark, almost black; on the first upper fin there are small black spots located at an angle. In addition, there is a dark spot on the chest near the pectoral fin, but not on the tail.

Habitat

The lightfin zander has a wide geographic range, stretching from Canadian Quebec to northern regions of Canada. In addition, it is present in most of the natural water sources of the North American continent.

Common zander is mainly found in freshwater reservoirs in the east of Eurasia, in the middle climatic zone. It is found in the B altic, Azov and Caspian waters. In addition, other water bodies, as well as desalinated zones, are suitable for it.

Canadian walleye is a common inhabitant of North American waters, such as the St. Lawrence lake and river system and the natural pools of the Appalachian mountain range.

Sea zander, which is not surprising, prefers to live in such seas as the Black and Caspian; those who live in the second tend to avoid places with low salinity.

How zander lives

Zander is a predator of water bodies, and its behavior is largely determined by this fact. Adults of this species primarily consume other smaller fish, while juveniles feed on a variety of invertebrates. The pike perch has such a highly developed instinct of a hunter that sometimes he even jumps out onto land in excitement, where he dies.

It should be noted that members of the perch family are very dependent on water quality and oxygen levels. Therefore, they will not colonize water bodies that are polluted with sediment particles, which is usually found in swampy areas.

From spring to summer, pike perch is easy to find at a depth of two to five meters. As a rule, they are most active at night, although they can be caught during the day. Thanks to the structure of their eyes, which allows them to see clearly even in complete darkness, it is easy for them to hunt no matter what time of day or night it is.

After sunset, these fish swim close to the shore and even close to the surface of the water. This period is marked by their "goal brawls" , which are accompanied by active floundering, the noise of which echoes above the surface of the water.

During the daytime, pike perch prefers to stay at a depth, settling in places with a hard sandy or gravel bottom.They have a fondness for large underwater objects such as submerged trees, logs, or large rocks. These elements are used by fish to find food. This species is also very disease resistant.

Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionIt is interesting to note that if you see pike perch living in a pond, this will indicate good water quality, since this fish will not live in polluted sources.

The behavior of zander is somewhat different depending on the habitat. For example, the Canadian species of this freshwater fish is commonly found in rivers, but is also present in lakes and reservoirs. It is known to be sedentary, except when it migrates to designated breeding areas that are far from its normal habitat. After spawning, pike perch always returns to its usual reservoir.

Does he have enemies

In its natural habitat, few people pose a danger to pike perch, and it is not the object of close attention of poachers, unlike other types of fish. In the wild, they often keep in small groups, which helps to protect themselves from attacks by other predatory fish.

Spawning and reproduction

The timing of puberty will depend on the environment in which the fish lives. For example, walleye living in cold waters take 7-111 years to reach reproductive maturity, while walleye living in warmer climates are ready to breed at the age of 2.5-5 years.

These fish spawn right after the ice melts, usually in July in northern areas. Caviar develops only under certain conditions with a temperature not higher than +10 degrees Celsius.Southern populations do not spawn annually, but rather once every two years. Egg laying occurs at night and is distributed over several intervals lasting up to five minutes, and the eggs are laid in several places little by little. Pike perch is more prolific than other freshwater fish species.

Pike perch eggs are quite tiny, their diameter is usually up to two millimeters. After spawning, the eggs firmly adhere to the substrate, which allows males to fertilize them effectively. After about five hours, they lose their stickiness. Unfortunately, pikeperch does not protect its young, so the chances of survival for its offspring are extremely low - only one percent survives to adulthood.

Interesting to know! Spawning of common pike perch, like many other fish species, begins with the arrival of spring, when the water temperature reaches 8-13 degrees Celsius. In the area of the Sea of Azov, this period occurs in April or early May. They lay their eggs in shallow water, which contains many underwater plants and other vegetation.These areas are usually found at a depth of 1 to 4 meters. The eggs produced by pike perch are extremely small and have a yellowish tint. Once they hatch, the fry feed on tiny invertebrates in their early stages of development.

Having reached a size of about ten centimeters, juveniles completely switch to feeding on fry of other types of fish, because at this moment there are a lot of them in the reservoirs. With such an energetic type of nutrition, zander grow quickly, and already in the second year they gain weight up to one kilogram. By the third or fourth year they are ready to breed. In winter, when it gets colder, zander migrate to wintering pits along with other fish species until spring comes again.

Value for the fishery

Pike perch is in high demand due to its delicious flesh, making it a popular food fish. In addition, pike perch is also an object of attention for anglers, both for recreational and sport fishing.This is because zander meat is very he althy in terms of nutritional value, as it is incredibly low in fat. As a result, some countries have introduced restrictions on the harvest of various species of ray-finned fish, including zander.

100 grams of zander fillet contains approximately 88 kcal, 18 g of protein, 1 g of fat and 0 g of carbohydrates. In addition, 100 grams of its meat contains various useful elements in the following quantities:

1. Iron: 0.3 mg.
2. Potassium: 333 mg.
3. Magnesium: 25 mg.
4. Phosphorus: 206 mg.
5. Zinc: 0.5 mg.
6. Vitamin B12: 1.3 mcg.
7. Vitamin B6: 0.1 mg.

Its meat is recommended by nutritionists, as pike perch contains a lot of useful substances that are beneficial for the human body. Firstly, it is a protein, which is the basis for the construction of cells, muscles and tissues.Secondly, these are omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower blood cholesterol levels, strengthen the immune system, promote cardiovascular he alth, and also positively affect vision and brain activity. In addition, the meat of this fish is a good source of B vitamins, which are important for metabolism, he althy nervous system and digestion. Vitamins A and D, also present in meat, promote strong bones and he althy skin.

Zander has a great advantage in that it is practically devoid of small bones, which cannot be said about other freshwater fish. However, there is one drawback - it is difficult to clean, as the scales fit snugly against each other.

How to grow zander

Zander is a predator, so it can only be bred in open ponds as an additional species. Its main prey are "herbivorous" fish such as carp or silver carp, while zander acts as a purifier - eliminating sick and weak fish to keep the population he althy.

Only freshwater zander can be bred, as marine species require s alt water. In addition, this type of fish is an ideal choice for artificial breeding due to its fast growth rate, significant weight gain and strong disease resistance.

Pike perch, oddly enough, are gentle creatures, so when catching it, you should handle it with care. If the fish is taken out of water with a temperature above ten degrees Celsius, it will die within three to four days. Fish caught in the spring tend to spawn poorly in captivity and require special injections to encourage them to reach maturity. It is better that farmers stock up on zander during the autumn-winter season.

For captive breeding, one and a half kilogram sires are chosen, as this is the best option, since larger individuals, as a rule, adapt worse to artificial habitat.

It is proposed that fish farms maintain their own breeding stock. During the summer, spawners are kept in feeding ponds and supplied with fresh fish, fed daily with 2% of their body weight. In winter, spawners are moved to flowing wintering ponds, where the presence of forage fish is at the level of twenty percent of the predator's weight.

Pike perch, juvenile carp and roach weighing 8-25 g are prey. Proper feeding in winter is very important for successful spawning; if there is not enough food, then the fertility of females and the rate of fertilization will decrease.

Spawning should be carried out so that the eggs can be incubated in the most favorable conditions - at a water temperature of 13°C. If the water is too hot, the eggs will mature quickly, but most of these larvae will die shortly after hatching.

At 13°C, the egg takes about six days to complete the incubation process.To calculate when the mass emergence of larvae will occur, it is worth taking a sample from an artificial nest by placing the eggs in a wide container and observing their development. If all the larvae appear with a difference of a few moments, it is worth concluding that mass hatching will occur in 3-4 hours in the same nest.

On the fourth day after fertilization, the nests are removed from the cages and placed in fry ponds - on poles installed at a depth of half a meter below the surface. One nest usually contains about two hundred thousand eggs, while the distance between adjacent nests is two meters.

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