Currently, the ecological state of the capital's waterway is so terrible that many people doubt whether there is fish in the Moscow River. It is believed that the entire ichthyofauna in the urban part of the channel has long died due to the increased concentration of chemicals. However, according to the results of studies, it was found that there are a lot of fish in the river, but the species diversity leaves much to be desired.
A brief description of the Moscow River
The Moskva River is the medium-sized waterway in the central part of Russia, flowing through the territory of the Smolensk and Moscow regions. The total length of its channel is 473 kilometers, and the catchment area is 17, 600 km 2.
The source is located on the Smolensk-Moscow Upland, where water flows from the Starkovsky swamp and descends along the slope in the form of a small stream. After 16 kilometers, the latter flows into the Mikhalevskoe Lake, from which it leaves a full-fledged river.
The mouth is located on the territory of Kolomna, where the Moscow River flows into the Ob as a right-hand tributary.
Study of the species composition of fish
Basic information on the status of ichthyofauna was obtained in 1993 during a series of successive captures on a 70-km section of the channel passing through Moscow.
The study aimed to answer the question of what kind of fish is found in the Moscow River and how much environmental damage has affected biodiversity and the quantitative composition of populations of different representatives of the ichthyofauna.
General characteristics of ichthyofauna
The question "what kind of fish is found in the Moscow River" is primarily associated with a violation of the ecology of its basin by the economic activity of the capital. Indeed, the concentrations of heavy metals and zinc in water greatly exceed permissible standards, which cannot but affect biodiversity.
The worst situation is noted in the urban area and in the section of the channel located downstream. Nevertheless, this river is still considered the most fishy water artery of the Moscow region. However, this characteristic has more practical, rather than ecological significance, because it refers to the size of the possible catch, and not to the number of species and the balance between populations.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, a lot of research was conducted to find out which fish lives in the Moscow River. As a result, it was established that the ichthyofauna totals 35 species, assigned to 12 families.
At first glance, this is very good, but given the size of the populations, it turns out that as a result of human activities, fish biodiversity has long been replaced by mono-diversity. The latter is expressed in the fact that from 50 to 90% of all individuals of the ichthyofauna is roach. And it is not surprising, since this species belongs to eurybionts (organisms with high adaptability to changes in environmental conditions). In addition, the roach is very resistant to water pollution, which allowed it to occupy a dominant position in the biotope damaged by humans.
Species diversity
The number of fish species in the Moscow River varies depending on the section of the channel. The highest biodiversity is observed in the western section of the aquatic artery, which is associated with a more favorable environmental situation in this zone. Here the river is just beginning to enter the city limits and therefore has 24-27 species. In the central region of the capital, diversity is sharply reduced to 10-13, and in some places to two representatives of the ichthyofauna. At the exit from the city, the number of species increases to 16.
These data answer the question of what kind of fish is found in the Moscow River, only partially, because they do not contain information on the size of the populations. So, if a species is found on a specific section of the channel, it is included in the ichthyofauna, regardless of the number of individuals living in this part.
Detailed information about which fish in the Moscow River are present in the largest numbers is reflected in the reports of the employees of Moscow State University and the Institute of Animal Ecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. They conducted an appropriate ichthyological study.
What fish is found in the Moscow River: photo and description
In general, the ichthyofauna of the Moscow River is characterized by the following composition (information for convenience is presented in the table).
| Family name | Number of species |
| Pike | 1 |
| Goby | 2 |
| Acne | 1 |
| Cod | 1 |
| Loach | 2 |
| Pike | 1 |
| Pecilian | 1 |
| Cyprinids | 20 |
| Salmon | 1 |
| Perch | 3 |
| Firebrand | 1 |
| SOM | 1 |
Among them, roach, bream and perch are found in large numbers. Instances of these fish made up the majority of the catch at all points where the sampling was made.
Throughout the city, bulls came across, successfully adapted to the changed environmental situation. Other species-acclimatizers include silver carp and eel.
In the area of the Kuryanovsky plums, a high population of aquarium guppies was noted, which were accidentally introduced into these waters from the apartments of residents. In the Moskva River, they also discovered a coughfish who had not lived in its waters before. Formerly numerous podusts and dace are now almost extinct.
All this indicates that the urbanization of the capital's water artery led to the reduction and disappearance of some species, and the settlement of others. For the latter, the water of the city line is not fatal, but rather favorable for growth and reproduction, since pollution has led to an increase in the content of organic matter, which serves as an excellent forage base.
However, a high concentration of chemicals was still reflected in the species-opportunists. Thus, deformities were found in some caught individuals.
Of the predatory fish in the Moscow River live:
- pike;
- zander;
- burbot;
- asp
However, these species were found in a single amount.
Thus, when answering the question about what kind of fish is found in the Moscow River, 3 mass species can be distinguished by arranging them in decreasing order of population size:
- roach (50-90%);
- bream (12-20%);
- perch (up to 18%).
Silver carp is also abundant in certain sections of the channel (up to 15%). In recent years, there has also been an increase in the number of zander.
These representatives are the background inhabitants of the capital's water artery, making up the backbone of the urban ichthyofauna.
Roach
Representatives of common roach live in the Moscow River. This is a small fish with an oval body covered with light silver scales darkened on the back, which is usually blackish with a blue or green tint. The fins are colored as follows:
- caudal and dorsal - gray-green with a red tint;
- chest - have a yellow color;
- abdominal and anal are red.
The maximum length of the body of roach is 50 cm, and the weight of the largest individuals reaches 3 kilograms.
Representatives of common roach live in the Moscow River. This species of carp family
Roach in Moscow is characterized by two ecoforms:
- mollusk-eating;
- herbivorous.
Having adapted to living conditions in urbanized waters, these populations acquired qualities that distinguish them from standard individuals of common roach.
Bream
Common bream is a monotypic representative of the Karpov family. This species takes the second place in frequency of occurrence in the Moscow River.
This fish has a relatively high body (up to a third of its length) and a small head. The mouth has a retractable tube. The sides of the common bream are painted in silver-brown, and the back is purely brown or gray. The belly usually has a yellowish color.
This fish is much larger than roach. An adult can grow up to 82 cm and weigh 6 kilograms.
Perch
Common perch is a common predatory inhabitant of fresh waters of Europe and Asia. The frequency of its catch in the Moscow River reaches 18% of the total ichthyofauna.
Perch is a rather small fish (body length up to 50 cm, weight - up to 2 kg). The average size is 15-22 cm. The species is characterized by a flattened body on the sides with a hump above the head and a large dorsal fin. The body color is greenish-yellow with a white belly and a darkened upper part. On the sides there are transverse black stripes.
