What are the interesting fish of the ratan?

So far, in the suburban water bodies of most of the former CIS fishermen catch a small, but very strange living creatures. These are the fish of the ratan, differing in a very peculiar appearance and habits.

You probably know how deeply swallows the ruff bait? We dare to assure you that the glutton in question makes it even better. For beginners, the process of its release inspires fear and awe: a small fish (from 14 to 25 cm maximum) is characterized by such a huge and toothy jaw that looks like a character in a horror film!

Experienced fishermen, shaking sticky slime from their hands, and do remain a dejected fact of catching such "muck". In a word, the fish are ratans - that's still a prey!

A little pure science: in Latin this fish is called Perccottus glenni, belongs to the group of perciformes and is included in the suborder of the bullheads, which is carried into a separate family - the headhead. Yes, despite all their kinship with the perch, the Ratan fish were separated. And how could it be otherwise: the relatives of the most common predators of our waters look more like sea bulls ...

Having looked at the rotana closer, you will easily understand why it was called a "bullet". Color is not accidental - these fish live in dark, muddy water bodies, in which even hardy carp do not get along.

However, everything depends here both on time and on the place of capture. If the pond is big enough and clean, the fish of the rattle are often light. Moreover, this variety of them not only is larger, but almost completely turns into a predatory way of life, sometimes even completely destroying all other species of their relatives.

Having caught a male bullet during the mating season, you will see that the entire surface of his body is dotted with bright spots of orange. The resemblance to a smoldering smut becomes absolutely indisputable!

Rotan came from the Far East, serving as another encyclopedic example of successful acclimatization and human stupidity. Having become the sole master of some ponds and lakes, he often harbored many valuable species of fish.

In its own homeland, it lives only in small and fairly warm water bodies: in the same Amur it has plenty of competitors, and even the largest ratan will be eaten without a trace by the large inhabitants of those waters.

In the European part of the country, this peculiar species appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. His victorious procession began from the reservoirs of St. Petersburg, where in 1912 this model was released by aquarists. Even before the Revolution, rotan quickly settled almost all the ponds near the Gulf of Finland.

Despite this, in those years to get to the capital the fish could not. But already in 1948, a gluttonous rotan was brought to Moscow by the same aquarists, who were sold in large batches on a "bird". Warm Moscow suburbs he had to taste, and so by the mid 50's it could be found in any local swamp and even in a roadside ditch.

Fortunately, in rivers this species develops poorly: the lower water temperature is to blame, and there are many competitors. Currently, it is distributed almost throughout the European territory: even in the Czech Republic, fishermen not so long ago began to swear, shaking it off the hooks. In the south, the gluttonous rotan has already reached even Uzbekistan. It is assumed that as early as 2050 it will reach the lower reaches of the Volga.

The photos presented to your attention will allow to make at least some idea of what a ratan fish looks like. Well, what it is remarkable, we told you!