The rotan fish is found on the Eurasian continent. It goes by many names: farrier, crabbill, wrasse. This animal belongs to the odontobutaceae family (Perccottus glahni) and is characterized by amazing vitality. Preferring animal food, it coexists with lake and silver crucian carp. In an aquarium it is capable of destroying even fish of the same size. He is a caring guardian of his offspring. Let's get acquainted with the owner of small reservoirs.
Description of the fish
Rotana is also called sandpiper or grass weed.Often called the Amur goby. Having small dimensions: 10-30 cm in length and an average weight of 350 g (the maximum weight of an adult rotan reaches 500 g); it is capable of destroying all the inhabitants of the reservoir. Many do not like rotan for this and call it a trash fish, a parasite and a restless alien.
Rotan fish is well oriented in the aquatic environment and quickly adapts to living conditions. The largest fish size is 12 cm.
| Distinctive body structure features | What are they used for? |
| disproportionately large head | ability to withstand larger predators |
| open mouth with protruding lip | to intimidate enemies |
| renewed teeth in 2-3 rows | food capture |
| small ventral fins | for feeling the bottom surface |
| predominantly dark body color | designed for quick concealment |
| excellent vision | Expanding the view of space up to 50 cm. |
| presence of foul-smelling mucus | the possibility of appearing inedible and slipping out |
| rounded caudal fin | improved movement coordination |
The rotan head is distinguished by an almost rigid body and a gray belly. Its scales are dim in color: from dirty brown to gray-green, interspersed with patches of different shapes and sizes.
The appearance of rotan is shocking. The evolutionary structure of the mouth with an extended lower lip is primarily due to protection from predators, such as pike, minnow, tench, and perch. Rotan fish looks scary.
A peculiarity of rotan fish is that it achieves the ability to reproduce only in the second year of life. In males, the back of the double dorsal fin is much larger than the front. In preparation for the mating season, the scales of males turn black. Spawning lasts from May to July.A prerequisite for spawning is to increase the water temperature to 20OC. One female is capable of producing up to 1000 fry.
Average life expectancy is 5-7 years.
Habitat
The homeland of the Amur goby is Central Asia. The habitat of the Amur sleeper is the Amur River, the most famous in the East. It lives in large numbers. Many consider it a sewer specimen, very undemanding. You meet the sandpiper in a swamp, pond, lake.
The fish is also found in places with slow currents. And even in slightly salted water. In Russian reservoirs it likes to live in stagnant water.
Initially, rotan appeared in large backwaters near St. Petersburg and then spread since 1912 throughout almost the entire Russian Federation. Recently it was discovered in the purest Lake Baikal. Amur sleeper fish lives in the rivers and lakes of northeast China, north Korea, northwest Sakhalin, as well as the basins of the Irtysh, Volga, Don, and Styr.
The influence of the environment on fish
The fact is that rotan sleeper loves warm water. And small dams warm up well. The wrasse loves areas covered with grass, near the banks. There is a large concentration of small animals there.
Rotan is a fighting fish. Left alone in a small pit, he feels like a rightful owner. But the lack of oxygen does not bother him.
The wrasse overwinters by burying itself in the mud. His body secretes glucose and glycerol. Which leads to the formation of salts both in the body and in the surrounding aquatic environment. Due to this, ice crystals do not form around it. So the wrasse is able to survive when the reservoir almost completely dries out and freezes.
Diet
A distinctive feature of this fish is its large belly. Her fry begin to hunt with a length of only 1 cm.But despite its indiscriminate eating, the fish usually eats only eggs and small fry, allowing large fish to reach their maximum size. True, it can be dangerous for fishing.
In search of prey, rotan swims to the surface, looking for insect larvae. The rotan fish menu of these fish also includes amphibian larvae and leeches. Cannibalism also occurs, when larger specimens eat smaller ones. As a rule, the wrasse hunts alone, but can also hunt in schools. Having eaten, the sleeper fish hides at the bottom for up to 2-3 days.
Is it possible to eat rotan
Anglers can catch Crookshanks year-round. Fish do not hibernate in the European part of the Russian Federation. In flowing reservoirs, unlike wetlands, its size predominates. The winter bite is especially good when the fish are hungry.
Many fishermen believe that rotan is a poisonous fish. They are repelled by the smell of bog and mucus. They are also unhappy with the low weight of the wrasse. Others note the weakness of its taste: juiciness and sweetness.
Rotan is an edible fish by generally accepted standards. Various methods of heat treatment are possible: frying, boiling, stewing.
Characteristics of meat and its consumption
The meat is dense in texture and separates well from the bones. In terms of composition, it meets the following indicators: the presence of phosphorus, calcium, potassium. And also, like the meat of most river fish, it contains molybdenum and vitamins P, A, D, E.
Small fish are cooked whole. From large tinder minced meat for making cutlets and meatballs. An egg and finely chopped lettuce are added to the minced fish.
