Biology
provided by Arkive
Roach feed on both animal matter and vegetation, principal foods being insect larvae, small molluscs and waterweed. They are tolerant of poor water conditions, even polluted water low in oxygen. The fish spawn from April to June in shallow water and attach their eggs – as many as 100,000 – to stones and plants. These hatch within four to 10 days, the fish larvae remaining attached to the vegetation until they have exhausted their yolk sacs. The young roach remain in shallow water and grow slowly, the males reaching maturity at two years, the females at three.
Although used as a source of cheap food in some eastern parts of its range, the roach is known primarily as a sport-fish. Its sheer abundance and ability to tolerate poor quality water means that it one of the most common fish caught by anglers. The fish's natural predators include pike, eels and other large carnivorous fish, herons, osprey and aquatic mammals such as mink and otter.
Conservation
provided by Arkive
Apart from the close season for coarse angling in the UK (15 March to 15 June), roach can be fished from any river provided the angler holds a standard rod license and has the permission of the owner of that stretch of river. Commercially, the fish is of little value apart from around parts of the Black Sea coast where it is caught as a source of cheap food. However, the roach is an important part of the aquatic food chain in its native rivers and, by being a prey species in its own right, supports populations of other animals.
Description
provided by Arkive
The roach is a common fish of fresh and brackish water, and one that is likely to be the most familiar to anglers. The eyes are red; the body silvery with a blue iridescence and prominent scales; the rays of the fins and tail are blue, with the webbing between fin spines an orange-red. They are not large fish and the body size varies considerably depending on the food available and other local conditions. The largest roach recorded weighed less than two kilograms.
Habitat
provided by Arkive
Roach are found in freshwater lakes, canals and slow-moving rivers, and brackish waters and lakes.
Range
provided by Arkive
The roaches range extends from the UK, through central Europe and eastern Scandinavia, south and east through Asia Minor, Russia and into Siberia. They have also been introduced into Australia, Cypress, Morocco, Ireland, Italy and Spain.
Status
provided by Arkive
Common
Threats
provided by Arkive
There appears to be no major threat to this species, and its ability to live in conditions that other fish find intolerable has meant that the roach is a common species across most of its range. In some areas where it has been introduced, it has become to be regarded as a nuisance species.
Associations
provided by BioImages, the virtual fieldguide, UK
In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Acanthocephalus clavula endoparasitises anterior intestine of Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite
Argulus foliaceus ectoparasitises skin of Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
tapeworm of Caryophyllaeides fennica endoparasitises intestine of Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
tapeworm of Caryophyllaeus laticeps endoparasitises intestine of Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Cryptobia borelli endoparasitises blood of Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite
fluke of Dactylogyrus ectoparasitises gill of Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite
fluke of Dactylogyrus vistulae parasitises Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
metacaria (diplostomula) of Diplostomum spathaceum endoparasitises eye (lens) of Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite
tapeworm of Ligula intestinalis parasitises Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
Myxobolus endoparasitises gills of Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite
fluke of Neodactylogyrus ectoparasitises gill of Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite
colony of Trichodina ectoparasitises skin of Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
metacaria of Tylodelphys clavata endoparasitises eye (humour) of Rutilus rutilus
Animal / parasite / endoparasite
metacaria (diplostomula) of Tyrodelphys clavata endoparasitises vitreous humour of Rutilus rutilus
Brief Summary
provided by Ecomare
Roach rarely grow larger than 35 centimeters. They are found in stationary as well as moving water. Roach swim in schools which forage in the vicinity of vegetation (reed, rush), therefore shallow waters, but also in deeper open water. They are true omnivores. Young roach eat mostly water fleas while older specimen eat small snails, zebra mussels, insect larvae, worms and crustaceans. They use the teeth in their throat to crack open shellfish. Adult roach eat mainly plant material, such as algae and detritus.
- license
- cc-by-nc
- copyright
- Copyright Ecomare
Diagnostic Description
provided by Fishbase
The only species of the genus in Atlantic basin north of Pyrénées which can be distinguished from its congeners in Black and Caspian Sea basins and Apennine Peninsula by the combination of the following characters: 39-41 + 2-3 (41-44 total) scales along lateral line; dorsal and anal fins with 10½ branched rays; body laterally compressed, depth 25-35% SL; mouth terminal; snout pointed; iris from yellow in juveniles to deep red in adults; pectoral, pelvic and anal fins orange to red; and no midlateral stripe. Differs from its congeners in Balkan Peninsula by uniquely possessing 10½ branched anal rays (Ref. 59043). Caudal fin with 18-19 rays (Ref. 2196). Also Ref. 96829.
Diseases and Parasites
provided by Fishbase
Worm Cataract. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)
Diseases and Parasites
provided by Fishbase
Black Spot Disease 1. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)
Life Cycle
provided by Fishbase
Spawns in shoals among dense among dense submerged vegetation in backwaters or lakes, flooded meadows or in shallow, fast-flowing river habitats on plant or gravel bottom. Eggs are sticky and hatch in about 12 days (Ref. 59043). Pale yellow eggs are attached to vegetation and tree roots (Ref. 41678).
Migration
provided by Fishbase
Potamodromous. Migrating within streams, migratory in rivers, e.g. Saliminus, Moxostoma, Labeo. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.
Morphology
provided by Fishbase
Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9 - 12; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 9 - 13; Vertebrae: 39 - 41
Trophic Strategy
provided by Fishbase
Facultative schooling fish (Ref. 46093). Large fish are solitary or congregate in small groups of up to 8 fish (Ref. 46637). Specimens ranging from 1.1 - 3.59 cm start exogenous feeding on pollen grains and vegetal cells (Ref 4938). Omnivore (Ref. 75154); feed on benthic organisms, plants and detritus (Ref. 26323).
Biology
provided by Fishbase
Found in a wide variety of habitats, mainly in lowland areas. Most abundant in nutrient-rich lakes and large to medium sized rivers and backwaters. Also recorded from small lowland streams and from brackish coastal lagoons. In fast-flowing rivers, confined to stretches where backwaters or shelters allow for overwintering. Larvae and juveniles live in wide variety of littoral habitats. Preys predominantly on benthic invertebrates, zooplankton, plant material and detritus. May shift from littoral to pelagic habitats and between benthic food and zooplankton when abundance of a specific food item is high or for avoidance of predation and/or competition. Breeds among dense submerged vegetation in backwaters or lakes, flooded meadows or in shallow, fast-flowing river habitats on plant or gravel bottom. Undertakes short spawning migrations. Stays in backwaters or in deep parts of lakes to overwinter. Produces fertile hybrids with Abramis brama (Ref. 59043). Pale yellow eggs are found attached to vegetation and tree roots (Ref. 41678). There is only little commercial fishing for this species, but valued for recreational fishing. Utilized fresh and dried or salted; can be pan-fried, broiled and baked (Ref. 9988).
Importance
provided by Fishbase
fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes
Common roach
provided by wikipedia EN
The roach, or rutilus roach (Rutilus rutilus), also known as the common roach, is a fresh- and brackish-water fish of the family Cyprinidae, native to most of Europe and western Asia. Fish called roach can be any species of the genera Rutilus and Hesperoleucus, depending on locality. The plural of the term is also roach.[3]
Description
The roach is a small fish, often reaching no more than about 35 centimetres (14 in); maximum length is 50 cm (20 in). Its body has a bluish-silvery colour and becomes white at the belly. The fins are red. The number of scales along the lateral line is 39–48. The dorsal and anal fins have 12–14 rays. Young specimens have a slender build; older specimens acquire a higher and broader body shape. The roach can often be recognized by the big red spot in the iris above and beside the pupil. Colours of the eye and fins can be very pale, however, in some environments.
In Central and Northern Europe, the common roach can most easily be confused with the common rudd (Scardinius erythropthalmus), the dace (Leuciscus leuciscus), or the ide (Leuciscus idus). They can be distinguished by these characteristics:
- The common rudd has a more yellow/greenish or golden colour. The backfin is placed more backwards and between the tip of the ventral scales and the first ray of the anal fin are only one or two scales. The roach has four or five scales there. The mouth of the rudd is more upturned and the head appears sharper.
- The dace has a greenish body, colorless eyes and fins, and a distinct 'nose'.
- The ide has a higher number of scales along its lateral line (55–61), a rounder body, and a bigger mouth and head.
Distribution
The common roach is found throughout Europe except for the area around the Mediterranean, and its distribution reaches eastward into Siberia. Eastern Europe and Asia have several subspecies, some with an oceangoing life cycle living around the Caspian and Black Seas.[4] Around the Mediterranean and in northwestern parts of Spain and Portugal, several closely related species occur with no overlap in their distribution.
It was introduced in Australia in the Murray River and coastal drainages of southern New South Wales and Victoria from Europe during the 1860s and 1880s for sport purposes.
Ecology
The common roach is very adaptable and can be found in any freshwater ecosystem, ranging from small ponds to the largest rivers and lakes. It feeds at any depth, although its preferred food sources tend to be in shallower water. It tolerates organic pollution and is one of the last species to disappear in polluted waters; it is also often the most numerous cyprinid in nutrient-poor waters. It also tolerates brackish water. Roach survive in temperatures from close to freezing 4 °C (39 °F) up to around 31 °C (88 °F).
Large female roach before spawning season
In most parts of its distribution, it is the most numerous fish, but it can be surpassed by the common bream in biomass in water bodies with high turbidity and sparse vegetation. The roach is a shoaling fish and is not very migratory with the exception of the oceangoing subspecies. In the cold season, they migrate to feed in deeper waters, whereas they prefer to feed near the surface during warmer weather.
Roach mostly inhabit freshwater ecosystems that are somewhat vegetated, because larval and young fish are protected by the vegetation and the mature fish can use it for food. The common roach eats a wide range of foods, from plant material, bottom-dwelling (benthic) invertebrates, to worms and maggots. Young fish feed mainly on plankton, until they are of a size to use a wider diet. Roach can adapt to environments where invertebrates are scarce by slowing their growth, maintaining slender body shapes, and maturing early.
Roach may live for 15 years or more.[5]
Reproduction
The spawning season is generally from March to June, with some variation due to spawning being triggered by the rising of water temperature during spring and summer. Roach generally spawn at the same location each year. Large males form schools, which females enter. Males trail the females and fertilize their eggs. Their behaviour is rough and the fish often jump out of the water. A female can lay up to 100,000 eggs. When the pH of the water is below 5.5, the roach cannot reproduce successfully.
See also
References
- license
- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
Common roach: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
The roach, or rutilus roach (Rutilus rutilus), also known as the common roach, is a fresh- and brackish-water fish of the family Cyprinidae, native to most of Europe and western Asia. Fish called roach can be any species of the genera Rutilus and Hesperoleucus, depending on locality. The plural of the term is also roach.
- license
- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
