How does it look?

Common roach, found in Latvia, is a small to medium-sized fish with lengths reaching 33-47 cm, and the largest recorded weight is 2.6 kg. Its body is relatively tall and slightly flattened from the sides, with a mouth directed forward or slightly downward. The coloration includes a bluish-green or brownish-blue back and silvery sides and belly.

The iris of the eye is typically red, occasionally yellow. Pelvic and anal fins, and sometimes other fins, exhibit a yellowish-red or orange hue, contrasting with the silvery sides and belly. Throat teeth are arranged in a single row. Males develop spawning tubercles on their body and head before spawning.

Where does it live?

Common roach, a member of the Cyprinidae family, is a freshwater fish commonly found in rivers, river backwaters, and lakes of various sizes. It tends to avoid small, heavily overgrown closed lakes. Roach thrives in lakes with abundant vegetation and larger to medium-sized, slow-flowing rivers.

What does it eat?

Common roach primarily feeds on benthos, invertebrates, zooplankton, fragments of aquatic plants, and detritus. Detritus consists of plant cell fragments, shells, parts of animal skeletons, and various secretions.

Interesting and important facts

Reproductive maturity in roaches typically begins at 1-10 years of age, reaching a length of 7-13 cm. The spawning process takes place in stagnant, shallow waters with a depth of 5-20 cm, often in densely vegetated areas, flooded meadows, or fast-flowing, shallow streams over gravel or plants. In Latvia, the spawning season for roach spans from late April to early June. Roach is known to form hybrids with rudd, perch, bleak, ide, and white bream. It is also one of the most commonly caught fish in the inland water commercial fishery.

Information sources: https://www.latvijasdaba.lv, Wikipedia

Image author: Anastasija Ovsepjana