Needlefish interesting facts for children. Black sea fish

Needle fish, arrow fish, spindle fish, silver needle, sea pike - all these trivial names belong to one of the most interesting representatives class of ray-finned fish. In the scientific world it is known as garfish.

Unusual appearance and tall nutritional value meat have made sea schooling fish the object of active fishing. Garfish dishes are different unusual appearance and excellent taste qualities.

Appearance, feeding habits, behavior and reproduction

The name “arrow” was not given to the garfish by chance. Predatory fish in pursuit of prey, is capable of making lightning-fast leaps, jumping out of the water and developing high speed. This is facilitated by the ideal aerodynamic structure of the fish: the body is long, slightly laterally compressed, covered with very small cycloid scales. In a calm state, the garfish moves, wriggling, like a snake (hence another nickname - spindle).

Interesting fact! A garfish jumps out of the water to overcome an obstacle. These could be objects floating on the surface of the water, including fishing boats. There are cases where fish have injured people.

When fishing, the garfish makes high jumps and can wrap itself in fishing line several times.

Thin elongated jaws, similar to the beak of a prehistoric pterodactyl, with many small sharp teeth help to capture and hold the victim. The upper jaw of the pipefish is shorter than the lower.

The younger the individual, the longer its lower jaw. It can be 3/4 of the length of the entire head.

The green and blue back and silvery sides of the garfish are in harmony with the overall color of sea water

In addition to the back, the garfish has green bones are painted. The non-standard shade is due to the presence in their composition of a coloring bile pigment - biliverdin, which is also present in the human body. The photo shows what the fish's spine looks like.

The coloring pigment is not dangerous to human health

A typical marine pelagic fish, garfish stays in deeper layers during daylight hours and rises to the surface of the reservoir on moonless nights.

The basis of the garfish's diet is small fish: anchovy, sprat, herring, juvenile mackerel and herring. In search of food, the predator migrates over considerable distances. For example, following anchovy it can move from the Black Sea to the Sea of ​​Azov and Sivash.

Sexual maturity of needle fish occurs at 3–6 years of age. Females spawn eggs in small portions, so spawning lasts several months (usually from early May to mid-August, in the Black Sea - from late April to mid-October). There is no ban on fishing during this period.

Garfish and needle fish - same class, different families

There is a common misconception that garfish and needlefish are synonymous names for the same fish. Actually this is not true. Needlefish - representative sea ​​fish family of needles (order of sticklebacks). Her close relative- seahorse.

The genus includes more than 50 species:

• common pipefish;
• Italian needlefish (other names: Black Sea needlefish, small needlefish);
• spiny pipefish;
• northern pipefish;
• smallnose needlefish;
• long-nosed pipefish;
• thin-snout needle fish and others.

Shy little fish ( maximum length 30 cm), unlike the predatory garfish, it is quite peaceful. She doesn’t even have teeth: the basis of the needle’s diet is plankton, small crustaceans, and insect larvae. Most of the day the fish either moves slowly near the bottom or stands almost vertically in the thickets marine plants, leaning on the tail.

The color of needles depends on the body of water they inhabit: usually yellow, green, reddish tones

The pipefish has an elongated tube-shaped mouth (snout) with a characteristic widening at the end.

Interesting fact! Fish, like a chameleon, can change color to suit their environment.

Needlefish live in the Black, Azov, Caspian, and Baltic seas, and enter the rivers and lakes associated with them. The sea long-snout needlefish is the object of hunting for tourists. They catch her with their hands coastal areas, dried and taken away as a souvenir.

Some species are freshwater. River needlefish is found in the Volga, the lower reaches of the Don, and some reservoirs (Kuibyshevsky, Volgogradsky, Rybinsky, Tsimlyansk).

Unlike garfish, needlefish has no commercial value. Because of its friendly disposition, attractive appearance and unpretentiousness, people like to keep it in an aquarium. Usually as pet they get chubby-cheeked needle fish.

The fish got its name from its strongly protruding gill covers.

The freshwater fish looks beautiful: the body is green or brownish with contrasting transverse stripes, the abdomen is light with a black keel. Height does not exceed 20 cm, weight 5 g.

There is only one thing in common between the garfish and the needle fish: both belong to the class of ray-finned fish.

Types and habitats of garfish

The garfish family includes 25 species. Fish are classified mainly according to the area where they are found.

IN commercially most interesting:

• European garfish(other names: Atlantic, ordinary). The most common species has chosen the moderately warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean, Marmara, Black, and Azov Seas (its western, more salty water area). Sometimes common garfish are caught in Belyi and Barents Seas. The height of adult individuals rarely exceeds 90 cm. Black Sea fish is classified as a separate subspecies. It differs from the European one in its more modest size (up to 60 cm);
• crocodile garfish(other names: crocodile tylosur, giant garfish), the largest representative of the family, growing up to 1.5 meters. The weight of trophy specimens is 6.5–7.5 kg. Lives in tropical waters Quiet and Atlantic Oceans. It got its name for its hard scales and its peculiar color, reminiscent of crocodile skin;
• Far Eastern or Pacific garfish: distinguished by a narrow bluish with a silvery tint longitudinal stripe and the absence of gill rakers; The thermophilic species is most common in the southern waters Sea of ​​Japan, off the coast of Korea and China (to the South China Sea), in Pacific Ocean south of the island of Hokkaido. In Russia, fish are caught in Primorye. Garfish as a seasonal migrant in summer period enters the Gulf of Peter the Great and the channels of salt lakes in the south of the region. The catches usually contain individuals weighing up to 1 kg and up to 1 m in length. As the water temperature drops to 15° C, it goes south;
• black-tailed garfish: An inhabitant of the coastal waters of South Asia, it was named for the large black spots on the caudal fin. During low tides, fish often remain in the dry zone, burrowing into mud or sand to a depth of 50 cm.

Most species prefer to stay close to the coast; some (for example, the tropical ribbon-shaped garfish) go into the open ocean.

There are 5 known species of the garfish family that live in fresh water bodies. They are found in rivers South America, Southeast Asia, Northern Australia.

Nutritional value, cooking recipes

Needlefish, especially those caught in the fall, are tasty and quite fatty. The absence of small bones makes it a desirable product in the kitchen. Meat has mass useful properties. In it in large quantities contains polyunsaturated aliphatic acids of the Omega group. They are necessary to increase immunity, normalize the functioning of all vital important systems, alignment hormonal levels. Thanks to fatty acids, general rejuvenation of the body occurs.

Garfish dishes are good for thyroid health: the fish contains a lot of iodine.
Fish meat is rich in phosphorus. The macronutrient is needed to maintain muscle activity, brain activity, and bone tissue growth.

There are many recipes for cooking sea ​​predator. The fish menu includes marinated, boiled, fried, baked garfish. Smoked needle fish has excellent taste.

Hot smoked garfish

The fish is cooked in a special smokehouse (can be replaced with a massive pan or bucket with a tight lid).

Operating procedure:

• pour wood chips (ideally aspen or juniper) into the bottom of the smokehouse and put on fire;
• prepare the fish: small garfish need not be gutted, large ones must be cleaned of entrails, and any greens (dill, parsley) must be placed in the belly;
• Rub the fish with salt and place on the smokehouse grate.

The garfish is kept in the smokehouse until cooked, usually the process takes about 40 minutes

The garfish is kept in a smokehouse until cooked; the process usually takes about 40 minutes. Some semblance of hot smoked fish can be cooked in the oven. To do this, cleaned garfish are first rubbed with salt, then coated with “liquid smoke,” placed in a baking bag and put in the oven for 50 minutes.

Cold smoked needlefish

The process of cold smoking is long and labor-intensive, but garfish prepared in this way can be stored for up to a year without losing its taste.

Step by step recipe:

• clean the fish, put it on twine (it’s convenient to do this through the eyes), salt it, and leave it to age for 3–5 days;
• remove excess salt: to do this, place the fish in a cold water, then rinse;
• dry the garfish in the open air for 2–3 days. For better results, first insert wooden sticks into the bellies;
• place the fish suspended in a tall smokehouse (for example, from barrels) with alder or juniper sawdust: they produce aromatic cold smoke. The smoke temperature should not exceed 25º C.

The smoking process itself takes from 1 to 6 days depending on the size of the fish. Readiness is determined by the appearance of the garfish: it becomes dry, the surface acquires a golden brown hue.

Recipes for preparing this ancient dish are varied. In general, shkara is fish stewed in its own juice.

For 5–7 pieces of garfish we will need:

• 3–4 pieces onions(the more, the tastier);
• a jar of olives (pitted and without fillers);
• 2 lemons;
• butter;
• vegetable oil (preferably olive);
• salt, pepper, bay leaf(to taste).

In addition to the products, you need to prepare in advance: 2 frying pans (main and auxiliary), toothpicks according to the amount of fish.

There should be enough fish so that, when rolled into rings, it tightly fills the pan.

Step by step recipe:

1. Cut part of the lemon along with the zest into small pieces and fill the olives with them.
2. In a main frying pan, melt a piece of butter, then put in a few pieces of bay leaf.
3. Roll the fish into rings, securing along the belly with toothpicks; fry in a auxiliary frying pan for 10 seconds on each side in well-heated vegetable oil, then remove the toothpicks.
4. Cut the onion into rings and place in a thick layer on the bottom of the frying pan, first removing the bay leaf.
5. Place fish rings, belly side down, tightly next to each other on an onion bed, add salt and pepper.
6. Place olives stuffed with lemon and a small piece of butter into each ring.
7. Cover the fish with a thick layer of onion rings and generously sprinkle with lemon juice.
8. Add a little water to cover the fish.
9. Close the lid and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Advice! There is no need to remove the lid until the end of the stewing process: this way the dish will fully retain the aroma.

Sprats

To prepare sprats, you will need gutted garfish carcasses without head and tail, vegetable oil, black peppercorns (or a mixture of peppers), bay leaf, and salt.

Preparation:

• cut the fish into pieces of approximately 5 cm, place tightly in a pan in a vertical position;
• add salt, pepper, bay leaf to taste;
• pour in vegetable oil so that the fish is completely covered;
• simmer covered over low heat for about 3 hours.

Such sprats can be stored in the refrigerator in glass jars.

This beautiful, swift predator is the object of commercial fishing. Mining is carried out mainly off the coast of Crimea, in Kerch Strait. Amateur fishing (with long-range gear) is possible in spring and autumn, when needlefish come close to the shore. By this time, the fish has managed to gain fat, its meat becomes tender and juicy. The hook is baited with what garfish usually feed on: anchovy, pieces of herring, mussel and shrimp meat. The predator reacts well to chicken meat. It is possible to use artificial baits: floating wobblers and small spinners.

In salty seas and oceans, as well as freshwater bodies, you can find very interesting fish, with a long and needle-thin body, and an elongated snout. Its body is covered with bone plates that look like a hexagon. The head is decorated with a small scallop. The color can be completely different and depends on the habitat. There are individuals of brown-green and red-brown colors, with many light transverse stripes. This is a needle fish, which can be a little more than 20 cm in length and weighs 5 kg. Her life expectancy is 5 years.

Needlefish prefer shallow water areas with lush vegetation. During the spawning period, the needlefish can enter freshwater bodies of water. It is found in the same Dnieper, and at a considerable distance from the sea. Freshwater fish do not change their habitat and are constantly in the same body of water. The needlefish feeds on bottom larvae, worms, crustaceans, plankton, and small fish. Its fry consume exclusively plankton. The fish's vision is very good, which helps it quickly find food.

Spawns from May to June. During mating season the female lays eggs not on seaweed, and into the male’s pouch, which is located on his tail. Fertilization also occurs there. In total, no more than 100 eggs are laid. In this case, the male’s pouch can contain eggs from different females at the same time. In total, during the mating season, the female can lay three portions of eggs, each containing 20 eggs.

The eggs located in the male's pouch do not come into contact with external environment. The embryos are nourished by their blood. The needle fish larvae are in the male’s pouch until August. After this period, the placenta with the fry is separated from the bag and enters the water.

Igloo fish can be found in Black, Caspian, Seas of Azov. Its dwarf form lives in salty bays. Freshwater pipefish are found on the Volga, Dnieper and Terek. It also exists in the Kuibyshev Reservoir. Maybe, freshwater fish enter large reservoirs from the lower reaches of rivers. This fact is confirmed by the fact that the needle appeared in the reservoirs of Kuban.

Needle fish has no nutritional value. Its natural enemies are predatory fish.

This relationship has introduced one peculiarity into the process of reproduction of these fish - the male is “pregnant”. In addition, he can choose whose eggs he will hatch and whose eggs he will not.

Pipefish live in tropical and temperate seas, including the Black Sea.

This small fish somewhat resembles a snake or a stick. She has a long and thin body, which is covered with a shell with bony trunk rings.

The long and thin body of the pipefish

Their body length can vary - from 2.5 to 30 centimeters. It all depends on the type of fish.

They don't swim very well. Like seahorses, some species have a prehensile tail, which they use to grab onto plants to avoid being carried away by the current.

The face of the pipefish is very elongated and occupies more than half the length of the head. At its end there is a small toothless mouth. Therefore, they suck in their food along with water.

Needles feed on small fish and plankton, for which they sometimes have to dive to a depth of 90 meters. But most often the fish stay at a depth of no more than 10 meters, among the vegetation of coral reefs and rocks.

The bright green color allows the fish to camouflage perfectly in algae.

Their almost vertical swimming provides good camouflage as algae. In addition, the color easily changes depending on environment: brown, bright green, red, purple, speckled gray, etc. This allows the fish to remain unnoticed by enemies.

Their reproduction process is very unusual. Like its closest relatives - seahorses - the male bears the offspring of the pipefish. It has a special brood pouch, which is a pouch between two folds on the abdomen.

Spawning of the pipefish begins in the spring and continues throughout the summer. Over the entire period, the male accepts eggs from several females. Although some species of pipefish are monogamous and “remain faithful” to only one female. At least it makes me happy. But most often, females lay eggs in several partners, because this increases the chances of survival of the young.

A male's pouch can hold up to 1,500 eggs. The gestation period lasts about a month. After which miniature copies of the parents come out of the bag, and independent life begins. But fatherly care also manifests itself after the fry hatch. The male continues to carry them in his bag for some time. When he bends his belly up, the bag opens and the kids go out for a walk. In case of danger, the fry climb back with lightning speed.

But that's not all. Earlier this year, biologists at the University of Texas found that males can get rid of unwanted “pregnancies.” He can regulate the survival of embryos by selecting the eggs of the most promising and attractive females. Then the possibility of fry hatching from the strongest and healthiest female increases. A process of survival, nothing more.

In nature, there are several genera of needlefish, of which there are about one hundred and fifty in total. The most numerous of them can be called the genus Syngnathus, or common needlefish.

Representatives of this genus have pectoral and caudal fins, and the front part of the body has an unusual hexagonal shape, which changes to a tetrahedral shape towards the rear. In total, there are about 50 representatives in this genus.

The genus of serpentine needles, or Neropsis, is not so widely represented. The body of representatives of this genus is very thin, round in cross-section, and they have no pectoral or caudal fins at all. Their appearance, resembling a needle or an awl, fully corresponds to the name of this fish.

Another genus of finless pipefish or Penetopteryx has no fins at all. These fish prefer to settle in the debris of coral reefs, where, in case of danger, they bury themselves in the coral sand.

The size of needle fish depends on its genus and can vary from 2.5 to 50 centimeters. They cannot be called good swimmers; they swim rather clumsily and at low speed.

The tail fin of these fish is quite long, but only some species know how to use it while swimming. And some species use their tail to attach to the grass or to the surface of the bottom so as not to be carried away by the current.

In this skill, the needle fish is similar to the seahorse, with which it is closely related. Pipefish live mainly in temperate and tropical areas of seas and oceans, in places where algae grow abundantly, there are corals, and the bottom is sandy.

There are cases when they swim upstream rivers over long distances. These fish have an amazing ability to change their color depending on the environment, which explains that in nature there are needle fish of the most incredible colors. Their bodies, which slowly sway as they swim, are very similar in color and movement to the algae that surround them.

Thanks to this camouflage, needle fish become invisible to predators. The diet of representatives of all species of these fish consists of small planktonic crustaceans. But it should be noted that the process of food absorption itself is not so simple. The peculiarity of the needle fish is that its long snout is devoid of teeth, so these fish simply have nothing with which to hold their prey. Because of this, eating by a needle fish can be compared to the work of a pipette. As soon as a crustacean appears in the field of view of this fish, it immediately directs its snout in its direction and sucks this crustacean along with water inside.

Only males take care of the offspring. Having accepted courtship, the female in the full sense of the word wraps herself around the male and begins to spawn. Males of the Nerophis species have a special groove in the lower part of the body in which the eggs are laid, and males of the genus Syngnathus have a special bag for similar purposes.

The bottom of the Black Sea is a storehouse of oil. Due to deep deposits, the waters are saturated with hydrogen sulfide. There is especially a lot of it below 150 meters. There are almost no inhabitants beyond this mark.

Accordingly, most fish in the Black Sea live in the water column or near the surface. There are a minimum of benthic species. As a rule, they burrow into the sands of the coastal bottom.

Sea crucian carp

Crucians live not only in freshwater bodies. In the Black Sea, representatives of the Sparidae family “capture” everything more territories. Previously, crucian carp were found mainly along the coast from Adler to Anapa. There are fewer fish off the coast of the latter. The sea in Adler is warmer.

Average temperature water there is 3-4 degrees. However recent years crucian carp are also caught outside the water area. There are 13 species. Seven of them are passing, sailing through the Bosphorus. Rest types of fish in the Black Sea sedentary.

You can often hear from fishermen the second name for sea crucian carp - laskir

The second name for sea crucian is laskir. The fish resembles its freshwater counterparts. The oval and laterally compressed body of the animal is covered with scales. There are even plates on the cheeks and gills of the fish. She has a miniature mouth. Sea crucian carp rarely exceed 33 centimeters in length. In the Black Sea, individuals of 11-15 centimeters are usually found.

The easiest way to distinguish sea crucian species is by color. The silver wolffish clearly has alternating dark and light stripes. There are 11 or 13 of them.

In the photo, sea crucian carp

The white sarg has transverse stripes, there are 9 of them. The bobs have 3-4 lines on the body and they are golden.

Sarga is another variety of sea crucian

Mackerel

Belongs to the mackerel family, the order of perciformes. Fishing in the Black Sea It's getting more and more difficult. Due to the unintentional introduction of Mnemiopsis into a body of water, they disappear food species. Externally similar to a jellyfish, the ctenophore feeds on plankton.

Crustaceans are traditionally the food of anchovy and sprat. These planktivorous fish, in turn, are the basis of the mackerel’s diet. It turns out that because of the alien ctenophore, the main commercial fish in the reservoir are dying of hunger.

Mackerel is known for its taste. Fish has fatty meat, saturated with Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids. Along with the benefits, the Black Sea catch can also cause harm. Mackerel accumulates mercury in its body.

However, this is typical for most marine fish. Therefore, nutritionists advise alternating in your diet marine species with freshwater ones. The latter contain a minimum of mercury.

Katran

A small shark from 1 to 2 meters long and weighing from 8 to 25 kilograms. Spikes covered with mucus grow near the two dorsal fins of the katran. Their shell is poisonous, like some stingray spines. Steve Irwin died from the poison of the latter. The famous crocodile hunter hosted a series of television programs.

The venom of the katran is not as dangerous as that of some stingrays. An injection from a shark's needle leads to painful swelling of the affected area, but does not pose a mortal threat.

The color is dark gray with a light belly. There are single white spots on the sides of the fish. Its population is also under threat. Like mackerel, katran feeds on the planktivorous anchovy, which is becoming extinct due to the dominance of the sea by Mnemiopsis.

True, horse mackerel still remains on the shark’s menu, which is why the shark population “keeps afloat.” By the way, fish swim in the depths. You can see katran off the coast only in the off-season.

Katran is the only fish from the shark family in the Black Sea

Stingrays

Stingrays are elasmobranch cartilaginous fish. There are 2 types of them in the Black Sea. The most common one is called the sea fox. This fish has a spiky body and tail and tasteless meat. But they value the liver sea ​​fox. Wound healing agents are made from it.

The main population of foxes is found near Anapa. You can also find stingrays there. Alternative name – sea ​​cat. This is another species of the Black Sea. Unlike the gray-brown fox, it is light, almost white.

There are no spines on the body of the fish, but the needle on the tail grows up to 35 centimeters. The mucus on the protrusion is poisonous, but not lethal, as is the case with the outgrowths on the body of the katran.

The sea cat is an ovoviviparous species. Poisonous fish Black Sea They do not lay eggs, but carry them in their womb. There, baby stingrays hatch from the capsules. This is a signal for the start of contractions and the birth of animals.

Sea cat or sea fox

Herring

The fish is distinguished by a slightly laterally compressed elongated body with a pectoral protrusion-keel. The back of the animal is blue-green, and the belly is gray-silver. The fish reaches 52 centimeters in length, but most adults do not exceed 33 centimeters.

The largest herring are found in the Kerch Bay of the Black Sea. They fish there from March to May. Then it goes into the Sea of ​​Azov.

Sprat

A miniature relative of the herring. The second name is sprat. There is confusion in the minds of ordinary people caused by the divergence of opinions between ichthyologists and fish farmers. For the latter, sprat is any small herring specimen.

It could be a herring itself, but a young one. For ichthyologists, sprat is a fish of the sprattus species. Its representatives do not grow more than 17 centimeters and live a maximum of 6 years. Usually this is 4 years versus 10, allotted for the age of herring.

Sprat lives at depths of up to 200 meters. In the Black Sea, due to the saturation of the waters with hydrogen sulfide, fish are limited to 150 meters.

Sprat fish

Mullet

Belongs to the mullet. There are 3 indigenous subspecies in the Black Sea: sharpnose, singil and mullet. The first is distinguished by a narrow nose covered with scales. It is missing only up to the area of ​​the anterior nostrils. In the Singil, the plates start from the rear, and have one tubule on the back. The sharpnose has two channels on its dorsal scales.

Loban is the most common and famous representative mullet in the Black Sea. The fish has a convex head at the front. Hence the name of the species. Among mullets, its representatives are the largest, grow quickly, and therefore are important commercially.

By the age of 6, the mullet stretches 56-60 centimeters, weighing about 2.5 kilograms. Sometimes fish are caught that are 90 centimeters long and weigh over 3 kilos.

Gurnard

His name is the answer to the question, what kind of fish is in the Black Sea quirky. Externally, the animal resembles a bird or butterfly. The rooster's front fins are large and colorful, like those of a peacock or a butterfly. The head of the fish is large, and the tail is narrow with a miniature forked fin. Curving, the rooster resembles a shrimp.

The red color of the fish plays in favor of the association. However, scarlet-brick is also associated with the crest of a real rooster.

In the body sea ​​cock there is a minimum of bones, and the meat resembles sturgeon in color and taste. Therefore, fish has become not only an object of admiration, but also of fishing. As a rule, the rooster falls for the bait aimed at horse mackerel and swims at the same depths.

Astrologer

Belongs to the order Perciformes, lives near the bottom, is inactive. Hidden, the astrologer does not count the stars, but waits for crustaceans and small fish. This is the prey of a predator.

It is lured by an animal like a worm. This is the appendage that the stargazer protrudes from its mouth. This mouth is on a massive and rounded head. The fish tapers towards the tail.

The stargazer can reach 45 centimeters in length and weighs 300-400 grams. In moments of danger, the animal buries itself in the bottom sand. It also serves as camouflage when hunting. To prevent grains of sand from getting into his mouth, he moved almost to the astrologer’s eyes.

Pipefish

Looks like he's straightened out seahorse, also belongs to the order Acicularis. The shape of the fish is similar to a pencil with 6 edges. The thickness of the animal is also comparable to the diameter of the writing instrument.

Needles – Black Sea fish, as if sucking small prey into their elongated mouth. It has no teeth, since there is no need to grab and chew the catch. The needlefish mainly feeds on plankton. Here again the question arises about the eating of crustaceans by Mnemiopsis. The needle cannot compete with fish for food.

Sea bass

Belongs to the scorpionfish family. The same family includes the sea ruffe. On the spines of its fins, the perch, like the katran or the sea cat, carries poison. It is produced by special glands. The venom is strong, but not fatal, and usually causes inflammation and swelling of damaged tissue.

Among photo of Black Sea fish perch can appear in different types. There are 110 of them in the world. White and stone are similar in appearance to freshwater perch. So the fish were named the same, even though they are not related. Black Sea perch is an exception. Fish is related freshwater species. Middle name is black sea ​​bass- smarida.

The length of the smarida does not exceed 20 centimeters. The minimum for an adult is 10 centimeters. The animal has a mixed diet, consuming both algae and crustaceans and worms. The color of fish largely depends on food.

Black Sea perches, like river perches, have vertical stripes on their bodies. After being caught they disappear. In ordinary perches, the stripes remain in the air.

Sea bass fins are very sharp with poison at the end

Dogfish

Miniature bottom fish up to 5 centimeters in length. The animal has a large front body and head. Towards the tail the dog gradually tapers, like an eel. There is a continuous fin-ridge along the back. But the main difference between the fish and others is the branched outgrowths above the eyes.

The color of the sea dog is reddish-brown. Fishes living in the Black Sea, stay both in shallow water and at depths of up to 20 meters. Dogs stay in packs, hiding between stones and ledges of underwater rocks.

red mullet

A red-and-white fish weighing about 150 grams and up to 30 centimeters long. The animal lives in shallow water with a sandy bottom. Otherwise, the fish is called an ordinary sultana. The name is associated with the regal appearance of the red mullet. Its color is like the robe of an eastern ruler.

Being a mullet, the red mullet has the same laterally compressed elongated body of an oblong oval shape. In agony, the sultana becomes covered with purple spots. The ancient Romans noticed this when they began cooking red mullet in front of those eating.

Those at the table enjoyed not only eating the delicious fish meat, but also admiring its coloring.

Flounder

Game fish Black Sea, prefers 100-meter depths. The peculiar appearance of the animal is known to everyone. Disguising itself at the bottom, it produces all kinds of light pigments on the upper side of its body. The underside of the fish does not have this ability.

The Black Sea flounder prefers to lie on its left side. Right-handed individuals are exceptions to the rule, like left-handed people.

People, by the way, love flounder for its dietary meat with 100% digestible protein, vitamin B-12, A and D, Omega-3 acids, and phosphorus salts. The flat creature also contains aphrodisiacs that stimulate desire. Only a few fish have similar properties.

Sea ruff

Otherwise called scorpionfish. It has no relation to freshwater marine species. The popular name is given to the animal for external resemblance with river ruffs. The Black Sea fish is also covered with spiny fins. The structure of their needles is similar to the structure of the teeth of snakes. Each needle has two grooves for the delivery of venom. Therefore, catching sea ​​ruffe risky.

Greenfinch

There are 8 species of greenfinches in the Black Sea. All fish are small and brightly colored. One species is called a wrasse. This fish is edible. The rest are used only as bait for large predator. Greenfinches are bony. Animal meat smells muddy and watery.

The wrasse is depicted on many amphoras that have survived from the time Ancient Rome. There, delicious greenfinch was served at dinner parties along with red mullet.

Despite their bright, festive colors, greenfinches with grass-colored faces are aggressive. Animals grin sharp teeth, rushing at offenders like chained dogs. In a fight, greenfinches, mostly males, shoot jets of water, wave their fins, bang their foreheads, tails and emit a special battle cry, which is not typical for fish.

Black Sea gobies

There are about 10 species of gobies in the Black Sea, the main one is called the round goby. Contrary to its name, the fish is quite elongated, laterally compressed. The color of the round timber is brown with a brown spot. The animal reaches 20 centimeters in length and weighs approximately 180 grams.

Round wood chooses depths of up to 5 meters. The sandpiper goby also lives here. It can also live in rivers. In the Black Sea, fish stay off the coast with inflowing rivers. Here the water is only slightly salty. The sandpiper is named for its beige color and its habit of burrowing into the sandy bottom.

The goby wrasse, unlike the sandpiper, is found on the bottom with pebbles. The fish has a voice flattened on top and swollen upper lip. The jaw protrudes from below. The wrasse also stands out as evenly developed dorsal fin.

There is also a grass goby in the Black Sea. He has a laterally compressed head and an elongated body. The large rear fin of the animal is elongated towards the tail. The fish is generously lubricated with mucus, but the secretion is not poisonous. Even children catch bulls with their bare hands. Teenagers like to look out for camouflaged fish in shallow water, sneak up and cover them with their palms.

Pictured is a Black Sea goby

Swordfish

In the Black Sea it is found as an exception, swimming from other waters. The powerful bony nose of the fish looks more like a saber. But the animal does not pierce the victims with its weapon, but rather hits it backhand.

The noses of swordfish have been found embedded in ships made of oak logs. The needles of the inhabitants of the depths entered the tree as if into butter. There are examples of a 60-centimeter penetration of the bow of a swordfish into the bottom of a sailboat.

Sturgeon

Representatives have cartilage instead of a skeleton and are deprived. This is what the fish of ancient times looked like, since sturgeon are relict animals. In the Black Sea, representatives of the family are a temporary phenomenon. Passing through salty waters, sturgeons go to spawn in rivers.

The Black Sea sturgeon is called Russian. Individuals weighing about 100 kilograms were caught. However, most fish in the Black Sea basin do not exceed a weight of 20 kilograms.

Pelamida

Belongs to the mackerel family, grows up to 85 centimeters, gaining up to 7 kilograms of weight. Standard fish are 50 centimeters long and weigh no more than 4 kilos.

It comes to the Black Sea from the Atlantic to spawn. Warm waters reservoirs are ideal for laying eggs and raising offspring.

Like mackerel, bonito has fatty and tasty meat. The fish is considered commercial. They catch bonito near the surface. This is where representatives of the species feed. The bonito does not like to go to the depths.

sea ​​dragon

Outwardly similar to gobies, but poisonous. The danger comes from the spikes on the head and its sides. The top ones resemble a crown. Like tyrant rulers, the dragon bites those it dislikes. A run-in with a fish can lead to paralysis of a limb. At the same time, the person languishes in pain.

Fishermen usually suffer from dragon stings. Poisonous Dweller the sea falls into the net, and from there the animals need to be taken out. It is not always possible to do this carefully.

In total, 160 species of fish live in the Black Sea or swim through its waters. About 15 of them are of commercial importance. Over the past 40 years, many fish that previously preferred to stay near the coast have moved into the depths.

Biologists see the reason in the pollution of shallow waters with runoff and fertilizers from fields. Besides, coastal waters Pleasure boats and fishing vessels actively ply the area.