Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal. Temperate
Eurasia: Caspian Sea; in Volga upriver to Astrakhan until 1977, spreaded out to Lakes Ivankovskoje and Rybinskoje (2000); invaded Don drainage (Black Sea basin) through Volga-Don canal (first record in 1972). Abundant in Lake Tsimlyansk and lower Don.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 32.6 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 85452); common length : 12.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2058)
This species is distinguished from its congeners in the Caspian Sea basin by the following characters: 75-95 % of distance between its origin and anus; ctenoid scales completely cover predorsal area and nape; pelvic disc fraenum with angular lobes, fraenum length 1/6-1/2 of its width at base; scales in midlateral series 68-72 + 3-4; snout length 1.5-1.6 times in eye diameter; interorbital distance 0.8-0.9 times eye diameter; first branched ray of second dorsal about as long as penultimate ray; posterior part of first dorsal without black spot. This species is different from N. kessleri in the area in having a distinctive karyotype, some osteological characters and cycloid scales on opercle and anterior part of the nape (vs. ctenoid) (Ref. 59043).
Inhabitant of inshore areas, estuaries, brackish and fresh water of lagoons and lakes, large rivers, harbours, on rock (stone or firm sand) bottom; mainly on well vegetated bottom (Ref.13696, 59043). Most females spawn for the first time at 1 year, males at 2 years, in April-May, rarely until July. Adhesive eggs are deposited on stones, shells and aquatic plants and the males guard the eggs after hatching. Feeds mostly on small fish, as well as a wide variety of invertebrates (Ref.59043).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kottelat, M., 1997. European freshwater fishes. An heuristic checklist of the freshwater fishes of Europe (exclusive of former USSR), with an introduction for non-systematists and comments on nomenclature and conservation. Biologia, Bratislava, 52/Suppl. 5:1-271. (Ref. 13696)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5001 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01259 (0.00634 - 0.02500), b=3.24 (3.08 - 3.40), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.8 ±0.4 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (23 of 100).
