Bleak (Alburnus alburnus)

Scientific name: Alburnus alburnus Linnaeus, 1758

Bleak (Alburnus alburnus)

The Bleak (Alburnus alburnus) is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 10–20°C (50–68°F).

Bleak care at a glance

Temperature
10–20°C (50–68°F)

Biology

Inhabits open waters of lakes and medium to large rivers. Forms large aggregations in backwaters and other still waters during winter. Adults occur in shoals near the surface. Larvae live in littoral zone of rivers and lakes while juveniles leave shores and occupy a pelagic habitat, feeding on plankton, drifting insects or invertebrates fallen on the water surface. Feeds mainly on plankton, including crustaceans and insects. Spawns in shallow riffles or along stony shores of lakes, occasionally above submerged vegetation. Excellent as bait for carnivorous fishes. May be captured using the smallest hook and a fly as bait. Its flesh is tasty. Of little interest to commercial or sport fisheries in its native range because of its small size. Scales were previously utilized in making Essence d"Orient, a coating for artificial pearls

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Alburnus alburnus
Family
Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps)
Order
Cypriniformes (Carps)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
25.0
Common length
15.0
Depth range
1 m (3 ft)
Environment
Freshwater; brackish;; pH range: 7.0 - ?; dH range: 10 - ? benthopelagic; potamodromous; depth range 1 - ? m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Europe and Asia: most of Europe north of Caucasus, Pyrénées and Alps, eastward to Ural and Emba. Naturally absent from Iberian Peninsula, Adriatic and Aegean basins (except Maritza drainage), Italy, Ireland, Great Britain (except southeast), Norway and Scandinavia north of 67°N, Caspian basin south of Volga. In Anatolia, Marmara basin. Locally introduced in Spain, Portugal and Italy. At least one country reports adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquaculture: commercial; bait: usually
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2-3; K=0.19; tmax=7; Fec=1,500)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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