Table of Contents

Introduction 5 Life-cycles of British freshwater fishes 10 Habitats for freshwater fishes 12 How to identify fishes 22 The types of fishes 26 Glossary and technical terms 42 Salmon watching 50 THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS Introduction to the species accounts 51 Carp and minnow family (Cyprinidae) 52 Rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus 54 Roach Rutilus rutilus 55 Orfe Leuciscus idus 57 Chub Squalius cephalus 58 Dace Leuciscus leuciscus 59 Common Bream Abramis brama 60 Silver Bream Blicca bjoerkna 62 Barbel Barbus barbus 63 Tench Tinca tinca 64 Crucian Carp Carassius carassius 66 Goldfish Carassius auratus 67 Common Carp Cyprinus carpio 70 Grass Carp Ctenopharygodon idella 72 Gudgeon Gobio gobio 73 Minnow Phoxinus phoxinus 74 Bleak Alburnus alburnus 76 Sunbleak Leucaspius delineatus 77 Topmouth Gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva 78 Bitterling Rhodeus sericeus 79 Salmon, trout, charr, freshwater whitefish and grayling family (Salmonidae) 80 Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar 80 Brown Trout / Sea Trout Salmo trutta 84 Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss 86 Grayling Thymallus thymallus 88 Arctic Charr Salvelinus alpinus 89 European Whitefish (Pollan/Powan/Schelly/Gwyniad) Coregonus lavaretus 91 Vendace Coregonus albula 93 Pike family (Esocidae) 94 Pike Esox lucius 94 Perch family (Percidae) 96 Perch Perca fluviatilis 96 Ruffe Gymnocephalus cernua 98 Zander Sander lucioperca 99 Sheatfish catfish family (Siluridae) 100 Wels Catfish Siluris glanis 100 North American freshwater catfish family (Ictaluridae) 102 Black Bullhead Ameiurus melas 102 Sunfish family (Centrarchidae) 103 Pumpkinseed Sunfish Lepomis gibbosus 103 River loach (or hillstream loach) family (Balitoridae) 104 Stone Loach Nemacheilus barbatulus 104 Loach family (Cobitidae) 105 Spined Loach Cobitis taenia 105 Sculpin family (Cottidae) 106 Bullhead Cottus gobio 106 Sturgeon family (Acipenseridae) 108 Common Sturgeon Acipenser sturio 108 Hake and burbot family (Lotidae) 109 Burbot Lota lota 109 Herring, shad, sardine and menhaden family (Clupeidae) 111 Allis Shad Alosa alosa 111 Twaite Shad Alosa fallax 112 Stickleback and tubesnout family (Gasterosteidae) 114 Three-spined Stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus 114 Ten-spined Stickleback Pungitius pungitius 116 Freshwater eel family (Anguillidae) 117 European Eel Anguilla anguilla 117 Lamprey family (Petromyzontidae) 119 Brook Lamprey Lampetra planeri 119 River Lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis 120 Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus 122 Marine visitors 124 Silversides family (Atherinidae) 124 Sand-smelt Atherina presbyter 124 Smelt family (Osmeridae) 125 Smelt Osmerus eperlanus 125 Righteye flounder family (Pleuronectidae) 126 Flounder Platichthys flesus 126 Temperate bass family (Moronidae) 127 European Seabass Dicentrarchus labrax 127 Mullet family (Mugilidae) 128 Golden Grey Mullet Liza aurata 128 Thin-lipped Grey Mullet Liza ramada 128 Thick-lipped Grey Mullet Chelon labrosus 128 Fishy fantasies 130 Conservation and legislation 132 Further reading and useful contacts 139 Acknowledgements and photographic credits 140 Index 142

About the Author

Mark Everard is a scientist, author, and frequent contributor to television and radio. His books include "The Complete Book of the Roach" and "Common Ground: The Sharing of Land and Landscapes for Sustainability".

Reviews

"Mark Everard has added to his already impressive tally of books with his latest release, Britain's Freshwater Fishes. Measuring in at 144 pages featuring 53 species and fully illustrated, it's a full-blown encyclopedia of fishy facts... All in all we are impressed--it's perfect for any angler who wants to know more about fish."--Angler's Mail "It is a beautiful photographic ID guide... Attractively designed and easy to use."--Dan Kinney, Farming Life "This book encourages fish-watching explicitly and also through providing the information to make it fun. I like it a lot."--Mark Avery blog