Gudgeon

COMMON NAME: Gudgeon.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Gobio gobio.

DESIGNATION: Coldwater.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Widely distributed in Europe except for the extreme north and the coastal rivers of the Adriatic.

SIZE: Up to around 20 cm (8 in), but usually smaller.

WATER PREFERENCES: Highly oxygenated water is preferred. Will withstand the lower range of tropical temperatures but not for Pale Chub or Zacco long.

DIET: Live foods preferred, to the virtual exclusion of anything elm.

BREEDING: An egg-scattering species which does not appear to have been spawned in aquaria.

DESCRIPTION: Numerous subspecies have been described but the authenticity of some is questionable. Gudgeon are fast-swimming, predominantly bottom-dwelling fish but will make mid-water forays in search of food.

Gudgeon Information

• The fish is mainly found in sandy shores and rocky cliffs. The fish is commercially traded. The fish breeds that are found in the river mouths or the lagoons are less easily digestible than those that are found in the shorelines.
• It is a very small breed fish. The fish would not be of a good quality if the fish thrives in waters of river which is polluted and carried the wastes of cities in large numbers. Even the fish of the muddy waters are not suitable for consumption.
• The features that would help in identification of the fish consist of the fish displaying a narrow and slender body with a curved back. It has a flattened belly with a large head. The cross section of the body would indicate the fish to be having a round body with a flattened tail. The mouth of the fish is located at the ventral part of the head having barbells on either side of the head of the fish. The lips appear to be quite thick. It has large number of scales of about 38 to 44 in number in the lateral line. The head has distinctive scales.
• The pigmentation of the fish consist of greenish brown at the back, yellowish tinge along the sides along with a series of large dusky patches. The ventral part of the fish has a creamy appearance. The dorsal tail and the anal fins of the fish are spotted heavily.
• The fish is mainly found in the bottom layers of the tank. The fish prefers to live in slow moving streams even tough it can be found in up streams having moderate range of water current. The fish is abundantly found in still water bodies like the lakes especially those having stone gravels as the bottom base.
• Since the fish is a bottom feeder, it mainly lives on the ground crustaceans, mollusks and insect larvae. In lake of still water the fish feeds on the planktonic growths.