dcsimg

Brief Summary

provided by Ecomare
Tench have a dark green to black back and a bronze-colored belly. The fish has a high back, small scales and extremely slimy skin. Using its barbels to feel the bottom, it searches for food primarily at night. Its eyes do not play a major role and therefore are small. Tench eat small snails, water fleas, crustaceans and mosquito larvae. They also eat parts of plants, algae and detritus.
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
Copyright Ecomare
provider
Ecomare
original
visit source
partner site
Ecomare

Diagnostic Description

provided by Fishbase
Body thickset, heavy, and laterally compressed, the caudal peduncle characteristically deep and short. Skin thickened, slimy; the scales small, embedded. Overall coloration olive-green, at times dark green or almost black, with golden reflections on ventral surface. Head triangular, eye orange-red, small; snout relatively long; interorbital broad; mouth terminal, small in size with thick lips and a pair of well-developed barbels, one at each corner of the mouth. Caudal fin with 19 rays (Ref. 2196). Diagnosed from other cyprinid species in Europe by the following characters: body golden greenish brown; one pair of barbel (maxillary); lateral line with 96-115 scales, small and deeply embedded; dorsal fin with 8-9½ branched rays; and anal fin with 6-9½ branched rays (Ref. 59043).
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
FishBase
Recorder
Rodolfo B. Reyes
original
visit source
partner site
Fishbase

Diseases and Parasites

provided by Fishbase
Tench Reovirus Infection. Viral diseases
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
FishBase
Recorder
Allan Palacio
original
visit source
partner site
Fishbase

Diseases and Parasites

provided by Fishbase
Pseudocapillaria Infestation 1. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
FishBase
Recorder
Allan Palacio
original
visit source
partner site
Fishbase

Life Cycle

provided by Fishbase
Males reproduce at 2-3 years and females at 3-7 years. Spawning happens, depending on latitude, between May and September, at temperatures of 19 20°C. Lays numerous sticky green eggs on plants or on the botton every 1 5 days for 2 months. Incubation at 20°C lasts 3 days. Larvae remain attached to the plants for several days until the vitellus is used up. Egg size 0.8-1.0 mm, larval length at hatching 4-5 mm.
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
FishBase
Recorder
Sari Kuosmanen-Postila
original
visit source
partner site
Fishbase

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.
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
FishBase
Recorder
Susan M. Luna
original
visit source
partner site
Fishbase

Morphology

provided by Fishbase
Dorsal spines (total): 4; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal spines: 3 - 4; Analsoft rays: 6 - 8; Vertebrae: 39 - 41
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
FishBase
Recorder
Rodolfo B. Reyes
original
visit source
partner site
Fishbase

Trophic Strategy

provided by Fishbase
Inhabits warm lakes and pools with weed and mud bottom. Tolerant of low oxygen saturations (Ref. 30578, 44894). Occurs in still or slow-flowing waters, often among dense vegetation (Ref. 44894). In winter, it stays in the mud without feeding itself (Ref. 30578). Omnivorous. Feeds on bottom invertebrates and aquatic insect larvae. Young also feed on algae (Ref. 1998, 44894). Breeds in shallow water among dense vegetation, laying numerous sticky green eggs. After hatching the larvae remain attached to the plants for several days. Used as a fodder fish for bass (Ref. 7248).
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
FishBase
Recorder
Pascualita Sa-a
original
visit source
partner site
Fishbase

Biology

provided by Fishbase
Typically found in shallow, densely vegetated lakes and backwaters. Often overwinters buried in mud. Larvae and juveniles confined to dense vegetation (Ref. 59043). Adults inhabit warm lakes and pools with weed and mud bottom. Tolerates low oxygen saturations (Ref. 30578, 44894). Feeds on detritus, benthic animals and plant materials. Adult often prey mainly on molluscs. Spawns among dense vegetation in still water (Ref. 59043). Used as a fodder fish for bass (Ref. 7248). Utilized fresh and frozen; eaten pan-fried, broiled, and baked (Ref. 9988). Popular with amateur sport fishers. Its flesh is highly esteemed (Ref. 30578). Locally under threat due to river engineering (Ref. 59043). Reported to reach a maximum length of 84 cm TL (Ref. 5723).
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
FishBase
Recorder
Susan M. Luna
original
visit source
partner site
Fishbase

Importance

provided by Fishbase
fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
license
cc-by-nc
copyright
FishBase
Recorder
Susan M. Luna
original
visit source
partner site
Fishbase

Tench

provided by wikipedia EN

The tench or doctor fish (Tinca tinca) is a fresh- and brackish-water fish of the order Cypriniformes found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including the British Isles east into Asia as far as the Ob and Yenisei Rivers.[3] It is also found in Lake Baikal. It normally inhabits slow-moving freshwater habitats, particularly lakes and lowland rivers.[4][5]

Taxonomy

The tench was formerly classified in the subfamily Leuciscinae with other Eurasian minnows, but more recent phylogenetic studies have supported it belonging to its own family Tincidae.[6][7]

Ecology

The tench is most often found in still waters with a clay or muddy substrate and abundant vegetation.[8] This species is rare in clear waters across stony substrate, and is absent altogether from fast-flowing streams. It tolerates water with a low oxygen concentration,[3] being found in waters where even the carp cannot survive.[8]

On Exhibition "Subaqueous Vltava", Prague

Tench feed mostly at night with a preference for animals, such as chironomids, on the bottom of eutrophic waters[9] and snails and pea clams in well-vegetated waters.[8][10]

Breeding takes place in shallow water usually among aquatic plants where the sticky green eggs can be deposited.[3] Spawning usually occurs in summer,[4] and as many as 300,000 eggs may be produced.[11] Growth is rapid, and fish may reach a weight of 0.11 kg (0.25 lb) within the first year.

Morphology

Tench have a stocky, carp-like shape and olive-green skin, darker above and almost golden below. The tail fin is square in shape. The other fins are distinctly rounded in shape.[8] The mouth is rather narrow and provided at each corner with a very small barbel.[12] Maximum size is 70 cm, though most specimens are much smaller.[13] A record fish caught in 2001 in England had a weight of 15 lb 3 oz (6.89 kg). The eyes are small and red-orange in colour.[14] Sexual dimorphism is absent or weak, limited to the adult females having a more convex ventral profile when compared with males.[13]

Males may also possess a very thick and flattened outer ray to the ventral fins.[12] Males are generally smaller than females, but can be recognised by having more curved lower fins and noticeable muscles around the base of the fins generally absent in female.

The tench has very small scales, which are deeply embedded in a thick skin, making it as slippery as an eel.[12] Folklore has it that this slime cured any sick fish that rubbed against it, and from this belief arose the name doctor fish.[11]

Fossil Tinca

Golden tench

An artificially bred variety of tench called the golden tench is a popular ornamental fish for ponds. This form varies in colour from pale gold through to dark red, and some fish have black or red spots on the flanks and fins. Though somewhat similar to the goldfish, because these fish have such small scales, their quality is rather different.[11]

Economic significance

Tench are edible, working well in recipes that would otherwise call for carp, but are rarely eaten these days.[8] They are shoaling fish that are popular quarries for coarse angling in rivers, lakes and canals.[3] Tench, particularly golden tench, are also kept as ornamental fish in ponds as they are bottom feeders that help to keep the waterways clean and healthy.[15]

Angling

Large tench may be found in gravel pits or deep, slow-moving waters with a clayey or silty bottom and copious aquatic vegetation. The best methods and bait to catch tench are float fishing and ledgering with a swim feeder using maggots, sweetcorn, pellets, bread, and worms. Fish over 1 kg (2 lb) in weight are very strong fighters when caught on a rod.[16]

References

  1. ^ Freyhof, J.; Kottelat, M. (2008). "Tinca tinca". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T21912A9339248. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T21912A9339248.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Tinca". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2007). "Tinca tinca" in FishBase. 5 2007 version.
  4. ^ a b B. Whitton (1982). Rivers, Lakes and Marshes p 163. Hodder & Staughton, London.
  5. ^ "Tench". BadAngling. Retrieved 2018-07-06.
  6. ^ Schönhuth, Susana; Vukić, Jasna; Šanda, Radek; Yang, Lei; Mayden, Richard L. (2018-10-01). "Phylogenetic relationships and classification of the Holarctic family Leuciscidae (Cypriniformes: Cyprinoidei)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 127: 781–799. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2018.06.026. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 29913311. S2CID 49292104.
  7. ^ "Order CYPRINIFORMES: Families LEPTOBARBIDAE, XENOCYPRIDIDAE and TINCIDAE". The ETYFish Project. 2018-10-17. Retrieved 2020-11-27.
  8. ^ a b c d e A. F. Magri MacMahon (1946). Fishlore, pp 156-158. Pelican Books.
  9. ^ Perrow, M. R. (1996). "Factors affecting the habitat selection of tench in a shallow eutrophic lake". Journal of Fish Biology. 48 (5): 859–870. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1996.tb01481.x.
  10. ^ Bronmark, C. (1994). "Effects of Tench and Perch on Interactions in a Freshwater, Benthic Food Chain". Ecology. 75 (6): 1818–1828. doi:10.2307/1939640. JSTOR 1939640.
  11. ^ a b c A. Lawrence Wells (date unknown). Observer Book of Freshwater Fishes, pp 101-105. Frederick Warne & Co.
  12. ^ a b c One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Tench". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 61.
  13. ^ a b G. Sterba (1962). Freshwater Fishes of the World pp 249-250. Vista Books, London.
  14. ^ Females can reach weights of around 7 kg, although 4 kg is considered large. Males rarely reach over 3 kg.Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2007). "Tinca tinca" in FishBase. 5 2007 version.
  15. ^ Dick Mills (2000). Understanding Coldwater Fish, p 106. Interpet Publishing. ISBN 1-903098-10-6
  16. ^ A. Lawrence Wells (date unknown). Observer Book of Freshwater Fishes, pp 101-103. Frederick Warne & Co.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tinca tinca.
license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN

Tench: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

The tench or doctor fish (Tinca tinca) is a fresh- and brackish-water fish of the order Cypriniformes found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including the British Isles east into Asia as far as the Ob and Yenisei Rivers. It is also found in Lake Baikal. It normally inhabits slow-moving freshwater habitats, particularly lakes and lowland rivers.

license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN

Introduction

provided by World Register of Marine Species
This species has been introduced or released in Dutch waters.

Reference

2. Fish, J. D. & Fish, S. (1996) A student's guide to the seashore. Second Edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

license
cc-by-4.0
copyright
WoRMS Editorial Board
contributor
Appeltans, Ward, W.