Freshwater bream (Abramis brama)

Scientific name: Abramis brama Linnaeus, 1758

Freshwater bream (Abramis brama)

The Freshwater bream (Abramis brama) is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 10–24°C (50–75°F).

Freshwater bream care at a glance

Temperature
10–24°C (50–75°F)

Biology

Inhabit a wide variety of lakes and large to medium sized rivers. Most abundant in backwaters, lower parts of slow-flowing rivers, brackish estuaries and warm and shallow lakes. Adults occur usually in still and slow-running waters where they travel in large shoals. Larvae and juveniles live in still water bodies, feeding on plankton. One to two years old juveniles move from backwaters to river to feed. In the absence of opportunity to leave backwaters, juveniles may adapt but have a slower growth and attain maturity at a smaller size. They also drift to brackishwater estuaries to forage when water level of flooded areas drops in lower reaches of large rivers. Foraging juveniles in brackish waters stay in lower parts of rivers to overwinter in freshwater. Feed on insects, particularly chironomids, small crustaceans, moll

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Abramis brama
Family
Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps)
Order
Cypriniformes (Carps)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
82.0
Common length
25.0
Depth range
1 m (3 ft)
Environment
Freshwater; brackish;; pH range: 7.0 - 7.5; dH range: 15 - ? benthopelagic; potamodromous; depth range 1 - ? m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Europe and Asia: most European drainages from Adour (France) to Pechora (White Sea basin); Aegean Sea basin, in Lake Volvi and Struma and Maritza drainages. Naturally absent from Iberian Peninsula, Adriatic basin, Italy, Scotland, Scandinavia north of Bergen (Norway) and 67?N (Finland). Locally introduced in Ireland, Spain and northeastern Italy. In Asia, from Marmara basin (Turkey) and eastward to Aral basin. Introduced in Lake Baikal and upper Ob and Yenisei drainages.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; bait: usually
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.06-0.17; tm=3-5; tmax=17; Fec=90,000-340,000)

Sources

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

Last updated