Perhaps, any person who understands ichthyology or is simply interested in it knows that there are bottom fish. However, not everyone can name typical representatives of this vast family, as well as talk about the features of fishing on them.
Features of these fish
As the name implies, bottom fish live either at the bottom or close to it. Some are able to dive to a depth of 200 meters and even more without harm to themselves! Over millions of years of evolution, their bodies have adapted to enormous loads, capable of destroying any other creature in a matter of seconds.
They usually have particularly dense muscles. On the one hand, it allows you to withstand significant loads. On the other hand, it provides low buoyancy, makes it possible to freeze at the bottom without moving at all. For many, this is extremely dangerous - not having great speed, they prefer to attack prey from an ambush. And for this it is necessary that the gullible fish swim very close. Some (such as stingrays) can even burrow into mud, leaving only their eyes on the surface, allowing them to effectively attack prey.
By the way, it is stingrays and flounder that are the most adapted representatives of bottom fish. After all, they are pressed to the bottom not with their stomachs, as many people think, but sideways. Their eyes are shifted to one side of the body, many organs have also shifted as a result of evolution. The dorsal and ventral fins have undergone a strong change, becoming the most convenient for swimming along the bottom and camouflage.
Representatives of bottom fish
All representatives of this family are usually divided into five groups - depending on the shape of the body and fins.
Thickened head, elongated body, arched back and large, powerful pectoral fins. This includes chain and cat catfish, some sturgeons.
- Small fish with a flat head and deformed pectoral fins, allowing not only to be fixed on the bottom so that they are not blown away by the current, but also to crawl along the ground. This category includes gobies, as well as sucker fish.
- Small fish with a small head and an elongated body. Most often they hide in cracks and under rocks in backwaters or standing water. The most common representatives are peppers and dogfish.
- Flat fish with an asymmetrical body. The swim bladder is missing. The eyes are located on one side of the body, and the mouth is on the other. The pectoral and dorsal fins are deformed, elongated, occupying the entire abdomen or back. The tail fin may be normal or also modified. This includes flounder and stingrays.
- Fish with massive heads, jaws and small, often highly elongated bodies. They live at the deepest depths, feeding mainly on carrion. The tail is thin, the other fins are poorly developed. These are chimeras, bitite and long-tailed.
As you can see, the bottom fish of the ocean are very diverse and do not look alike. Each of them adapts to life in difficult conditions in their own way.
Bottom fish in Russia
Of course, there are representatives of this family in Russia. First of all, these are different types of gobies - they almost never rise from the bottom, preferring to hide under stones or between them. They move very little, swim out of hiding only for a short period of time.
Also here you can include bream, carp, catfish, minnow, crucian carp. If necessary, they rise to the surface, lead an active lifestyle, but spend most of their time near the bottom - some at great depths, and some on shallow rifts. They all have deformed mouths, great for licking mud off rocks, picking up small insects or plant food from the bottom.
Donkey fishing
Fishing with a bottom rod is one of the most exciting and at the same time productive varieties of recreational fishing. Of course, it will be such if there are well-prepared gear.
Their device is as simple as possible - even a rod is not required. All tackle consists of a reel (plastic, wood, foam or any other), fishing line, massive weight and several hooks.
The fishing line should be quite strong - from 0.4 and more. After all, it is necessary to throw a heavy load over a long distance - a thin fishing line may not withstand the load. In addition, the donk is often left and goes to another fishing spot, so the fishing line must withstand fish jerks for a long time. Yes, and they usually fish with this method for large individuals, and not for roach or ruff. On leashes (their number can vary significantly), thinner fishing line is usually allowed - if the tackle catches on a snag, it is better to sacrifice one hook than the whole donkey. The optimal length of the leashes is 15-25 centimeters.
The load can have a weight of 30 to 100 grams. It depends on the intensity of the current in a given place, as well as the casting distance.
Hooks are selected based on the size of the fish being fished and the bait used.
An experienced fisherman, alerting 5-10 donoks, can occupy a bank up to 50 meters wide. Of course, the catch in this case is usually rich.
Conclusion
This is where our article ends. From it you learned about the features of bottom fish living in the oceans. We have also listed some of the representatives found in our country. And at the same time read about bottom fishing - be sure to try it if you want to return home with a rich catch.
On the territory of Russia there are a large number of rivers and reservoirs. This provides truly inexhaustible opportunities for successful and exciting fishing. Freshwater bottom fish is a healthy and nutritious product, which contains essential animal proteins, amino acids and valuable trace elements. The variety of river fauna and flora allows fishing enthusiasts to get a vivid, unforgettable experience, enjoying many different ways of fishing.
Bottom fish living on the territory of our country have behavioral and characteristic features. Consider some types of bottom fish that are found in the reservoirs of Russia.
Perch is one of the most common fish living in domestic reservoirs. It lives in clean, oxygenated water, preferring rocky or sandy bottoms. Perch fishing is carried out all year round. Experienced fishermen know that perch are more likely to bite in the morning and evening hours. As a bait, preference is given to bloodworms, worms, fry.
It is a fellow perch. Prefers to live in deep-sea reservoirs with a rocky bottom, where you can easily find shelter. Every angler dreams of getting a trophy in the form of pike perch, whose maximum weight is close to twenty kilograms! On average, the weight of pike perch varies from three to five kilograms. Pike perch bite all year round, but more readily - in the cold season, at dawn. That is why it is more expedient to hunt pike perch in winter, when the ice has become strong. As a bait, artificial nozzles are actively used - spinners, wobblers.
Pike perch loves to eat fry or pieces of fish.
The beauty predator is the most common bottom fish in domestic reservoirs. Pike prefers quiet calm lakes and rivers, where there is a large accumulation of small fish. In early spring, during the spawning period, the pike experiences increased hunger. During this period, spinning fishing is activated. Pike are caught on live bait and bait.
Catfish is the largest and strongest representative of bottom fish living in Russia. It is found in deep reservoirs with muddy and dirty water. Prefers a rocky bottom, dotted with various kinds of natural shelters: snags, pits, whirlpools. Larger baits are used to successfully catch catfish. He loves to eat frogs, fried sparrows, crayfish, pieces of fish. Unlike their counterparts, catfish actively peck in rainy and hot weather.
Representative of the cod family, found in the European part of Russia, in Central Asia, in the Far East. During the long winter, the spawning process takes place. Therefore, it is actively conducted in the fall. In the summer season, the fish do not bite. Burbot is a relatively small fish. Its average weight varies from one to two kilograms. It is recommended to use worms, frogs, small fish as bait.
This representative of the carp family prefers to settle in quiet deep-sea reservoirs with rich flora. The average weight of a bream reaches three kilograms. In spring, the spawning season begins, so fishing for bream is actively carried out in winter, as soon as the ice gets stronger. The bream willingly pecks at the vegetable bait. Experienced fishermen use legumes, barley, seeds.
Carp prefers to live in reservoirs located in the southern territory of Russia. This is a large fish, whose maximum weight reaches twenty kilograms, breeds in lakes and rivers with rich flora, abundantly saturated with oxygen. Spring is the period of carp spawning, after which active biting begins. Given the large weight of the trophy, along with floats, fishermen use bottom gear. Carp willingly pecks at earthworms, maggots, vegetable bait. All summer carp is hungry, which fishermen do not hesitate to take advantage of. Quiet fishing is successful fishing, as the carp is afraid of extraneous sounds.
It lives in muddy calm reservoirs throughout Russia. The exception is the rivers and lakes of the Far North. Fishing for crucian carp is not possible during the spawning period, that is, in the spring. It is activated on cloudy and rainy days, in winter - in snowfall. Fishermen use both fishing rods and bottom gear. Crucian loves to eat earthworm, maggot, grasshopper, steamed corn, pearl barley, buckwheat.
One of the most common and popular fish that lives in almost all domestic reservoirs. The maximum weight reaches three kilograms. Fishing for roach is actively carried out all year round, with the exception of two spring months. It is recommended to use worms, white bread, maggots as bait.
The list of bottom fish living in Russia is endless. The most common and popular types are listed above. Knowing the characteristics and preferences of the fish will make fishing as effective and exciting as possible. As they say, no scales, no tail!
Bottom and bottom fish species live near the ocean floor and have light-colored meat. All over the world, this fish is in great demand. The cold and clear coastal waters of Alaska - the waters of the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska - contain huge stocks of deep-sea fish. Thanks to upwelling (rise to the surface of deep waters saturated with nutrients), these water areas are among the most biologically productive water bodies on our planet.
Nutrients, combined with sunlight, support the viability of huge populations of phytoplankton (microscopic algae) that serve as food for fish. Alaskan bottom fish are a natural part of this ecosystem.
100 vessels have been in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea since January 1, the start of the groundfish season. On January 20, trawlers will start catching pollock.
Posted in | Tagged ,Alaska bottomfish are fished in four main ways: trawl, longline, pot and line.
Each type of fishing has its own characteristics. Let's talk about them in more detail.
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Great popularity among consumers
As one of the most popular demersal fish species in the North Pacific, the Alaskan cod is the highest quality cod species. Alaska-sourced cod meat has a slightly sweet flavor and a moist, firm texture that makes it suitable for a wide variety of dishes.
In the seas of the Far East, there are many fish that live at the bottom and near the bottom. They are found both in shallow water and at considerable depths and are distinguished by a more or less compressed body shape.
For example, in various species of gobies or sculpins, widely distributed in the coastal strip, the body and especially the head are flattened from above. This flattened body shape is most pronounced in stingrays. Close species of stingrays and pintail rays are found in the Sea of Japan.
In some bottom fish, the body is greatly elongated and often laterally compressed, as in representatives of the Maslyuk or Sticheev family. The flounder-like, numerous species that live in the Far Eastern seas are distinguished by a particularly laterally flattened body shape. The larvae and fry of the flounder have a cylindrical body. But as it grows, it becomes higher, and the left (in most species) eye begins to gradually move across the forehead to the right side, the nostril passes here and the mouth is warped. The fish more and more often lies blind sideways on the bottom and begins to lead a sedentary lifestyle. Adult flounders swim slowly, down with a blind side, bending their body in waves.
The coloration of demersal and demersal fish is mostly protective, close to the environment. It is very diverse - from plain gray or brown to the brightest and most unusual combinations of colors and patterns, for example, in Snyder's moss-headed dog (Snider family). Many fish species can change their color when moving to another environment. The flounder “repaints” especially quickly, which literally copies the color, tone, pattern of the new soil in just a few minutes.
Among the bottom and demersal fish, cod, navaga, pollock, flounder, halibut are of commercial importance.
On fig. 1.13 - yellowfin flounder (length up to 48 cm), horned goby (length up to 23 cm), moss-headed Snyder dog (length up to 30 cm). In the circle - the development of flounder.
Sea water contains many inorganic substances necessary for the development of plants. With the help of solar energy, plants turn them into organic ones, due to which some marine animals exist. They feed on algae, in their thickets they hide from enemies, lie in wait for prey, and breed. Algae are also water purifiers, and when they die, they contribute to the formation of soil.
The Far Eastern seas are very rich in vegetation; there are about 600 species of algae in them. They are distributed from the coastal strip to a depth of about 200 m, where light rays penetrate. Large algae (macrophytes) lead an attached lifestyle due to root-like outgrowths (rhizoids), small unicellular algae float freely in the water column, making up marine phytoplankton.
Depending on the content of special pigments in the cells, algae have a different color and a different need for lighting. Green algae are the most light-loving, they stay in shallow water (ulva, enteromorpha). Red (crimson) - the most shade-tolerant and grow both in the upper horizons and at a considerable depth (rhodimenia, porphyra, anfeltia). Brown algae (kelp, costaria lessonia, agarum) inhabit various horizons, but especially abundant in the upper sublittoral (up to a depth of 15 m), often forming "underwater forests".
Seaweed fishing among the inhabitants of Primorye has been developed since ancient times. By a set of vitamins and chemical elements, algae have no equal among plants. The first place in terms of nutritional qualities is occupied by kelp, rodimia, porphyry and ulva. Laminaria algae have long been used for medicinal purposes. In addition, alginates and mannitol are obtained from brown algae, and agar from red algae.
On fig. 1.14 - Japanese kelp, ulva-lettuce, porphyry lobed. In the circle - a single-celled alga of the genus Hetoceros (greatly enlarged).
