Pelecus cultratus

Goat ( Pelecus cultratus )

The Goat ( Pelecus cultratus ), also called Sichling, is a carp -like freshwater fish. It is the only species of the genus Pelecus - counted here to Leuciscinae, but today better to Cultrinae. Goats are schooling fish, the day staying near the ground waters at night and rise to the surface. They feed on planktonic small crustaceans, insects and their larvae.

Occurrence

The goat lives in Eastern Europe, from the Oder to the Volga and the Urals, in the Danube, Baltic, Black and Caspian Sea, Aral Sea and in southern Sweden.

Appearance

The goat has a slim figure, a straight topline and a constant upper jaw. The ventral edge is sharp, so that no " belly " exists and the fish is heavier visible from below. The pectoral fins are very large and curved, the anal fin is long, the dorsal fin with 10 to 11 rays only very briefly. The lateral line is wavy. The fish are 25 to 35, a maximum of 60 inches long.

Reproduction

Goats spawning May to July. Brackish water dwellers migrate to the lower courses of the rivers. You create 30,000 to 100,000 eggs, which float in the water. After three to four days, the larvae hatch.