Short Glossary For Popular Sweet Water Fish In Europe

Learn a little about the fish that is mostly angles in Europe.

Catfish

Catfish are medium to large size; some specimens can reach 3.5 meter. A well-known type is the European catfish (Silurus glanis). Most of the catfish have a hard and hollow thorn at their fins that can sting when touched. Some types also secrete a toxic protein that can be dangerous for people. Catfish that can give electric shocks do not have these thorns, also called spurs.

The Pikeperch (Walleye)

The pikeperch (Stizostedion lucioperca or Sander lucioperca) can grow up to 120 cm. It is a fish of open water and lives mainly in deep water. Both parents monitor the eggs. The pikeperch comes originally from East - and Central Europe. Since the end of the 19th century it has been set out for angling. Because the pikeperch is less dependent on clear water than the pike, the pikeperch has repressed the pike in a lot of places.

They hunt for large prey operating in schools, particularly for elongated fish. The pikeperch hunts mainly in the evening, because with its turbid, cat-like eyes it has an advantage at that time. It uses its eyes well, but uses also its sideline organ to coordinate hunting efforts even if it sees nothing (every fish can do this by the way). It senses the ultrasound bouncing off prey that is caused by movements of water.

The minimum size for catching a pikeperch is 42 cm; so if you got a smaller one, let it go please. The pikeperch is edible. Much of the pikeperch is thus taken along after capture to be eaten instead of being thrown back. In some waters the level of pikeperch is decreasing. The pikeperch is set out for “improvement” of halieutics. It appears that it adapts well to new surroundings.

Sockeye and European Salmon

The European salmon or Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is a fish, which lives as an adult mainly in the northern sea. It swims up river to breed and can be fished at this season. The salmon has the red color of flesh as a characteristic.

The Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) (also called red salmon) is from the family of real salmons (Salmonidae) and belongs therefore to the order of Salmoniformes. The fish can reach a length of maximum 84 cm long and can weigh up to 7710 grams. The highest registered age is 7 years. You can find the Sockeye salmon in both sweet and salt water. This type has also been observed in brackish water. The fish prefers a polar climate and lives mainly in the large oceans.

Trout

There are a lot of types of fish that are called trout. Some of the most known are:

Sea trout (Salmo trutta trutta)

Lake trout (Salmo trutta lacustris)

Brook trout (Salmo trutta fario)

Golden trout (Salmo aqua-bonita)

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Brook knight (Salvelinus alpinus)

Spring trout (Salvelinus fontinalus)

All fish that are usually called trout belong to the Salmoninae sub family. Trout is usually found in cold, clear flows and lakes, and by way of nature has been spread over North America, North Asia and Europe.

Fish lovers have introduced several types in the 19th century in Australia and New Zealand. This repressed a number of domestic fish.

Trout and particularly rainbow trout is bread in Europe nowadays. They are sold on markets after their first year, but the sheer part of the grown trout are sold to trout fishing ponds. Trout are set out there to be caught later by anglers.