Burbot (Lota lota)

Scientific name: Lota lota Linnaeus, 1758

The Burbot (Lota lota) is a freshwater fish of the family Lotidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 4–18°C (39–64°F).

Burbot care at a glance

Temperature: 4–18°C (39–64°F)

Biology

The only member of the family which lives in freshwater. Crepuscular and nocturnal. Found in well oxygenated flowing waters and large lakes. Occurs from estuaries of large lowland rivers as well as from small mountain streams, preferring deep waters in summer. Also inhabit deep lakes and large rivers with slow-moving current. Seek shelter under rocks, in crevices on the river banks, among roots of trees and dense vegetation. Those in rivers tend to congregate in deep holes throughout the year, except at spawning. Movements into shallower water during summer nights are related to feeding. Smaller individuals feed on insect larvae, crayfish, mollusks and other invertebrates with a changing preference for fishes in larger individuals. Source of oil.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Lota lota
Family: Lotidae (Hakes and burbots)
Order: Gadiformes (Cods)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 152
Common length: 40.0
Depth range: 1–700 m (3–2297 ft)
Environment: Freshwater; brackish;; pH range: 7.5 - ?; dH range: 18 - ? demersal; potamodromous; depth range 1 - 700 m
Climate: Temperate
Distribution: Circumarctic in freshwater. Europe: Loire drainage, France eastward to White, Barents and Arctic Sea basins; upper Volga drainage; western Caspian basin; rivers draining to Black Sea; Rh?ne drainage (France); in Italy native only in Po drainage; eastrward England (now extirpated). In Siberia eastward to River Lena. Reported that populations from eastern Siberia and North America belong to a different species, Lota maculosa.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: experimental; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.05; tm=2-7; tmax=20)