Vobla is a fish from the Carp family. It is considered one of the species of common roach. Moreover, roach is classified as a separate subspecies, while many are sure that this is the general name for a dried product. In addition, it is often mistaken for related varieties. To avoid making a mistake, it is recommended to pay attention to the place of catch. If we are talking about the Astrakhan region, with a high degree of probability these are roach from the Caspian Sea, and not similar individuals.
Description and history of fish
This fish belongs to the Karpov family. In terms of visual characteristics, it is in many ways reminiscent of a roach.According to some information, it is even classified as a roach, distinguished as one of the varieties of this category. In fact, the roach is considered a separate species, which is characterized by important features that allow it to be separated from other individuals.
The fish received this name during the existence of Rus'. This is due to the round shape of her torso. It is noteworthy that during that period she was often called a “mad woman.” The reason for this was the active behavior of such individuals. When the roach moves to spawn in river mouths, it is almost impossible to keep up with it. Therefore, the behavior of the fish is not similar to other fish. The roach quickly breaks through schools of other fish to get to its target.
Adults reach a length of 30 centimeters and weigh approximately 200 grams. But there are also larger specimens. The main characteristic feature of such fish is the V-shaped caudal fin. In addition, its scales have a reddish tint.
The following species of individuals currently live in the Caspian Sea:
- Turkmen;
- Azerbaijani;
- North Caspian.
There are no significant visual differences between them. The only difference is the habitat. This applies to the seas and rivers into which such individuals enter.
How does she look
Many people are interested in what visual characteristics are inherent in the wobbler. This is a small fish, the body length of which is no more than 30 centimeters. It is characterized by large scales. The roach is distinguished by gray fins with a darker border. The back is also characterized by a relatively dark color. At the same time, the sides have a silver tint. It is worth noting that the roach, in general, is considered the most silvery fish among related species.
Also, quiet individuals are characterized by a light abdomen.The iris is characterized by dark spots and also has a gray color. In general, the color of the roach is dominated by gray shades. It lacks rich red fins or orange eyes. However, its external characteristics in no way affect its taste, and the fish is valued for them.
People often try to distinguish roach from roach. To do this, it is recommended to focus on the following features:
- the roach is characterized by more impressive sizes;
- unlike river roach, it primarily lives in sea water;
- The roach's diet is based on invertebrates, although it rarely eats algae.
The color of the iris and fins is also considered a difference. The roach is characterized by grayish fins and a silvery iris. In this case, the roach is characterized by eyes of a bright red hue. In addition, its ventral fins are also distinguished by their intense color.
Habitat
Vobla is divided into 2 varieties - river and sea. Depending on this, its habitats also differ. The distribution area is also influenced by the seasonal factor. When the marine species goes to spawn, it tries to stay close to the shores of the Caspian Sea. This individual is also called semi-anadromous. The river variety lives in the same place. During reproduction, it moves to depth, becoming abundantly covered with mucus. This substance provides protection against hypothermia.
It is not difficult to distinguish a marine individual by visual characteristics. It is characterized by larger sizes compared to the river one.The body length of such individuals is 40 centimeters, and their weight reaches 1 kilogram.
At the end of February, the sea roach begins to form large schools and gradually moves to the mouth of the river, which is closest to the habitat of the individuals. Migration begins when the reservoir warms up to at least +8 degrees. To lay eggs, the fish chooses an area with dense vegetation.
With the onset of summer, the roach begins to prepare for the coming winter. To do this, she builds up fat. At this time, individuals descend to a depth of a maximum of 5 meters. The roach winters closer to the shore. To do this, it lies in deep holes that do not freeze even in severe frosts. There the fish is covered with a thick layer of mucus, which provides reliable protection against hypothermia. The roach spends the winter in such places. At the same time, she is in a special state, which is something between sleep and wakefulness.
Diet
According to the description, the roach lives in the north of the Caspian Sea. This is due to the fact that there is a lot of food for her. Roach is characterized by heterotrophic nutrition. She eats invertebrates that don't move much. The diet of such individuals is based on crustaceans, mollusks and worms. Such nutrition ensures the fastest possible development of the roach and promotes an increase in fat deposits.
Before the cold weather, wobbles require rich nutrition. But sometimes she follows a plant-based diet. Under certain conditions, fish may well eat algae to maintain their livelihoods.
In total, it is worth highlighting up to 40 different components in the roach’s diet. In particularly difficult conditions, these individuals eat the fry of other fish. However, in nature this situation is extremely rare.In rivers, young individuals compete for food with fry of carp and bream. All these fish prefer to feed on daphnia, cyclops and rotifers.
There is an opinion that the roach is considered an omnivorous fish. Her diet does include a lot of varied foods. However, given a choice, the roach will always give preference to animal food rather than plant food. She can easily manage without algae. This will not harm the fish's body.
Life cycle features
The average lifespan of this fish is 10 years. During this time, she goes to spawn in river mouths 5-6 times, laying up to 30 thousand eggs. After this, the fish loses weight significantly.
The roach spends most of its life in the Caspian Sea. Before winter, the fish actively builds up fat, which it needs due to the characteristics of spawning. Before hibernation, thick mucus appears on its body. This substance provides protection from cold.
For wintering, the roach chooses an area near the mouth of the Volga. Thanks to this, with the onset of a thaw, it begins to move upstream in dense schools to spawn. In winter, the roach is in a hole. During this period, she falls into a half-sleep. At the same time, the fish practically does not move and does not eat. It mostly lies on the bottom.
The roach emerges from hibernation relatively early. It moves to the Volga earlier than other fish, which also migrate from the Caspian Sea to the river. The first schools start moving in February. With the onset of March, the rate increases, reaching its maximum in April. During this period, the ice on the Volga completely melts. It is worth considering that the wind activates the movement of the roach to spawn, while low temperatures, on the contrary, slow it down.
The fish moves along the river quite quickly, but does not rise very far. It is rarely seen north of Volgograd. Most of the fish remain at the mouth. There she looks for places to lay eggs. Vobla mainly accumulates in shallow water. When the water rapidly recedes, a large number of individuals may even end up in a trap - in areas without water. As a result, after the spring run, not all fish can return back to the sea.
Reproduction and spawning
Shortly before laying eggs, significant changes begin to occur in the body of such fish. They relate to the following aspects:
- The body is abundantly covered with thick mucus.
- Pointed warts form on the scales. At first they are distinguished by a white tint, and then they darken. Moreover, such formations are formed in both males and females.
- The head is covered with special growths. They are distinguished by their whitish color and large size, which resemble tumor-like formations.
Such transformations before the start of spawning are often called nuptial plumage. When the fish returns to the Caspian Sea, these formations disappear, and its appearance becomes the same.
Before laying eggs, the fish stops feeding. She goes to spawning hungry. In this case, the individual takes energy from fat reserves that accumulated in advance. The earlier the fish moves to the Volga to spawn, the more reserves it has.
Reproduction occurs several times during life. This fish lays eggs no more than 5-6 times. The roach begins to spawn in the spring. This occurs in April and May. In this case, the eggs are deposited at a relatively shallow depth, which is 50 centimeters.It occurs in grassy areas or reeds.
After spawning is completed, the fish looks very exhausted. She has a thin and long body, which acquires a dark color. At the same time, the head seems disproportionately large and is twice the size of the body. In this form, the fish moves back to the Caspian Sea. Moreover, this does not happen in such dense schools that were heading for spawning.
A roach that leaves its breeding grounds is called downstream. All individuals, including fry, move to the sea. From the end of May until next spring there is not a single specimen of sea fish in the Volga. In individuals that managed to reach the sea after laying eggs, intense fat is observed. It begins in the Volga immediately after spawning.
Do roach have enemies?
Like other creatures in nature, the roach faces a large number of threats. At the same time, humans are the most dangerous for this fish. It is human activity that leads to a reduction in the population of many fish and animals, and also causes a disruption in the natural balance.
If we consider other threats, the roach, like other small fish, is in wait for predators. It is hunted by large and medium-sized individuals. The fish becomes most susceptible during the spawning period. When dense schools move to the river mouth, they are attacked by animals that go straight into the water and easily catch females with eggs from there. To protect itself from such attacks, the roach often joins schools of other fish.
At sea, individuals suffer from attacks by seagulls. Birds catch fish directly from the water, making it extremely difficult to protect against them. Parasites are considered another problem for such individuals. They are practically never found in fish that live only in the sea.For those individuals that enter rivers, parasites are a common occurrence. Worms and larvae infect internal organs, negatively affecting the quality of life. At the same time, the fish looks not too good. In addition, such a roach poses a danger to people. To avoid negative consequences, it is important to thoroughly heat treat the catch.
It is often mentioned that the population is declining due to human fishing, especially during the spawning season. In reality, the roach suffers more from natural factors. Strong winds and rains in spring lead to river flooding. When the fish gets into such shallows, they do not have time to return to the deep areas. When the water rapidly recedes, the fish fall onto land, turning into easy prey for animals.
Vobla is a common fish that lives mainly in the Caspian Sea. At the same time, it goes to the river mouth to spawn. These fish have typical visual features. They also have a special way of life.
