Small silvery fish, anadromous or resident in lakes. Lives in estuaries, along coasts and in lakes.
How to identify it
Slender, slightly compressed body, slightly translucent in appearance, with a large mouth and teeth. It gives off a strong smell reminiscent of fresh cucumber.
Appearance
Grey-green or pinkish back, silvery flanks and a caudal fin with a dark margin.
Habitat and habits
Coasts, estuaries and lakes; anadromous populations ascend rivers to spawn over sandy or rocky bottoms.
Where it lives
Western European coasts, including the Baltic, with populations in lakes and estuaries of the Nordic countries, down to north-western Spain. There is also an exclusively freshwater form in the large lakes of northern Europe.
Conservation status
IUCN: Least Concern (LC).
There's more in the app
This species' bite index, recommended baits and methods, and the rules of the day for every water. Offline too.
Soon on Android and iPhoneNames in European languages
