Danube bleak facts for kids
The Danube bleak (also called the Caspian shemaya) is a type of freshwater fish. Its scientific name is Alburnus chalcoides. It belongs to the Cyprinidae family, which includes carps and minnows. You can find this fish in many countries across Europe and Asia, from Iran to Germany.
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What Does the Danube Bleak Look Like?
The Danube bleak is a long, slender fish. It can grow up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long. But most of them are usually between 15 to 30 centimeters (6 to 12 inches).
It has many scales, about 57 to 70 of them, along its side. The bottom part of its body is flat and does not have scales at the very end. Its top fin usually has eight or nine rays. The fin underneath its body has fifteen to nineteen rays. These fish can look a bit different depending on where they live.
Where Do Danube Bleaks Live?
Danube bleaks live in slow-moving parts of rivers. These rivers flow into the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. You can also find them in the Aral Sea area and in rivers in the mountains.
Fish Migration
These fish are migratory. This means they travel long distances. They swim upstream to the higher parts of rivers to lay their eggs. After spawning, they move back down to the lower parts of rivers. They can even go into estuaries and slightly salty areas of the sea.
However, many dams have been built on these rivers. These dams make it hard for the fish to migrate. Some groups of Danube bleaks now live only in smaller rivers and reservoirs. They lay their eggs in small streams above the dams. The main group in the Caspian Sea has found ways to lay eggs below the dams.
Conservation Status
People are worried about too much fishing and pollution in the Caspian Sea. These issues could affect the Danube bleak. But in 2008, experts said the fish was of "Least concern". This means it is not currently at high risk of disappearing.
How Do Danube Bleaks Live?
The Danube bleak eats many different things. Its diet includes small crustaceans (like tiny shrimp), worms, and molluscs (like snails). It also eats insect larvae, adult insects, and even small fish.
Spawning and Young Fish
Male Danube bleaks gather in fast-flowing streams. This happens between May and July. These streams have gravelly bottoms, which are perfect for laying eggs. The females arrive later. Each female can lay about twenty thousand eggs. These eggs stick to stones and gravel.
The eggs hatch after only two or three days. The tiny fish larvae stay hidden among the gravel for about ten more days. After that, they move to calmer, shallow waters. Here, they eat tiny water creatures called zooplankton, insect larvae, and algae. The young fish swim downstream in the autumn or the next spring. They usually become old enough to have their own babies when they are four or five years old.
