Huchen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Huchen |
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Hucho
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hucho
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The huchen (Hucho hucho) is a really big freshwater fish that lives in rivers. People also call it the Danube salmon or redfish. It belongs to the same family as salmon and trout. This amazing fish is found mainly in the Danube basin in parts of Central and Eastern Europe.
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Where the Huchen Lives
The huchen naturally lives only in the Danube river system in Europe. Sadly, its population is in danger. One big problem is damming rivers. Dams block the fish from reaching their special places to lay eggs. This also breaks up their homes into smaller pieces. Too much fishing, called overfishing, is also a problem in many areas. These issues are especially clear in the Balkans.
Most huchen live in the upper parts of the Danube basin, including its rivers and smaller streams.
- In Austria: You can find them in the Inn river, the upper Drava, and parts of the Gail and Mur rivers.
- In Germany: They live in the middle and lower Inn and the Isar rivers.
In the Balkans, huchen still swim in these river systems:
- In Slovenia: In the upper parts of the Sava river and its branches.
- In Croatia: In the upper and middle parts of the Kupa river.
- In Bosnia and Herzegovina: In the Una, Sana, and Vrbas rivers. Some smaller rivers like the Krivaja and Fojnička are also important homes. The Drina river is one of the most important huchen homes in Europe, with many smaller rivers flowing into it.
- In Serbia: The Lim river.
- In Montenegro: The Lim, Lake Plav, and Tara rivers.
Some of these homes, especially in the Balkans, are at risk. New dams and power plants are planned or already built. For example, huchen populations in the Piva river were completely wiped out.
Good news is that some parts of rivers are being fixed up. For instance, a part of the Inn river in Germany was restored. Now, the huchen have returned there!
Huchen have also been put into other big rivers in Europe and even Morocco. However, these fish usually can't survive on their own in these new places. Sometimes, huchen can live in natural lakes, like Lake Plav. They can even survive in big dam reservoirs if other fish that compete with them are not introduced.
Appearance and Behavior
The huchen is a truly impressive fish! It can grow up to about 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and weigh more than 50 kilograms (110 pounds). That's like a small person! Most huchen are between 60 and 120 centimeters (2 to 4 feet) long.
This fish has a long, slender body that is almost round. Its back is reddish-brown with dark patches shaped like an "X" or a crescent moon. The huchen's head is its most unique feature. It's bigger than other salmon-like fish, with a large, long mouth.
Younger huchen eat small water insects or bugs that fall into the water. But the bigger huchen are hunters! They eat other fish and small animals.
Historical Records of Large Huchen
People have caught some truly huge huchen over the years. While there's no official group that checks every record, many stories and photos exist.
- In 1985, a huchen weighing 34.8 kg (76.7 lb) was caught in Austria.
- Another one, weighing 39.4 kg (86.9 lb), was probably raised on a fish farm for breeding.
- A famous huchen weighing 58 kg (128 lb) was caught in 1938 in the Drina river in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There's even a photo of it!
- In 1985, an angler caught a huchen weighing 41.3 kg (91 lb) and 145 cm (57 in) long in Lake Plav. This fish was shown at a fair and was called a "world record." You can still see it stuffed in a hotel in Plav today.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
This amazing fish lays its eggs in April. This happens when the water temperature reaches about 6 to 9 degrees Celsius (43 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit). To lay eggs, the huchen swims upstream into smaller, shallow rivers.
The female huchen digs a hole in the gravel at the bottom of the river. She then lays her eggs there. After a male releases his sperm, the female covers the eggs with sand. The baby huchen, called larvae, hatch about 30 to 35 days later.
Commercial Breeding Efforts
People are working hard to raise huchen babies in special farms. This helps to put more huchen back into the wild. To do this, adult huchen are caught just before they lay eggs and kept in special tanks. Once the young huchen grow to about 4 to 10 centimeters (1.5 to 4 inches) long, they are released into suitable rivers. This has had good success in helping the huchen population.
