Until now, in the suburban ponds of most of the former CIS, fishers catch small, but very strange animals. These are rattan fish, characterized by a very peculiar appearance and habits.
You probably know how deeply swallows the bait of ruffs? We dare to assure you that the glutton in question does it even better. For beginners, the very process of his release inspires fear and awe: a small fish (from 14 to 25 cm maximum) is distinguished by such a huge and toothy mouth that it looks like a character in a horror movie!
Experienced fishermen, shaking off sticky mucus from their hands, remain completely dejected by the fact of capturing such "muck". In a word, rattan fish is still prey!
A bit of pure science: in Latin, this fish is called Perccottus glenni, belongs to the perciform order and is part of the goby-type suborder, which is placed in a separate family - the nodules. Yes, despite all its kinship with perch, rattan fish were separated. And how could it be otherwise: a relative of the most common predators of our waters looks more like sea gobies …
If you look at the rattan closer, you can easily understand why it was called the "firebrand". The color is not accidental - these fish live in dark, silty ponds, in which even hardy crucians do not get along.
However, it all depends on both time and the place of capture. If the pond is large enough and clean, rattan fish are often bright. Moreover, this variety of them is not only larger, but also almost completely switches to a predatory lifestyle, sometimes completely destroying all other species of its relatives.
Having caught a male firebrand during the mating season, you will see that the entire surface of his body is mottled with bright spots of orange. The resemblance to the smoldering smut is becoming completely undeniable!
Rotan came from the Far East, serving as yet another encyclopedic example of successful acclimatization and human stupidity. Having become the sovereign owner of some ponds and lakes, he often plagued many valuable species of fish under the root.
In his own homeland, he lives only in small and quite warm reservoirs: in the same Amur, he has many competitors, and even the largest ratan will be eaten by the large inhabitants of those waters without a trace.
In the European part of the country, this peculiar appearance appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century. His victorious procession began with the reservoirs of St. Petersburg, where in 1912 this sample was released by aquarists. Even before the Revolution, rotan quickly settled almost all bodies of water near the Gulf of Finland.
Despite this, in those years, the fish could not reach the capital. But already in 1948, a gluttonous rotan was brought to Moscow by the very same aquarists, who sold in large quantities on a “bird”. He liked the warm suburbs of Moscow, and therefore by the mid-50s he could be found in any local swamp and even in a roadside ditch.
Fortunately, this species does not develop well in rivers: the lower water temperature is to blame, and there are many competitors. Currently, it is distributed practically throughout the entire European territory: even in the Czech Republic, fishermen started swearing not so long ago, shaking it off the hooks. In the south, the gluttonous rotan has already reached Uzbekistan. It is assumed that already in 2050 he will swim to the lower reaches of the Volga.
The photos presented to your attention will allow you to get at least some idea of how the rattan fish looks. Well, what makes it remarkable, we told you!
