Zander Or Pikeperch (Stizostedion lucioperca)
The zander is a sturdy fish which grows over 1 m in length and often weighs up to 12 kg. It has a long body and a pointed, slightly depressed head. The mouth is large and extends back to the front edge of the eye. The jaws contain many small teeth, interspersed with impressive, projecting larger teeth. The back of the zander is a dark olive green, the sides arc lighter, whilst the belly is white or silvery. It has eight or more dark transverse stripes on the sides. The zander lives close to the bottom in the deeper parts of the middle and lower reaches of rivers with sandy or muddy bottoms. Usually it swims to the surface only in the morning or evening when it is hunting for fish. It is often artificially reared in ponds and then put in dampools, lakes and rivers. It spawns in April and May in the shallows, where it constructs a nest which has a diameter of about 0.5 m. These nests contain plant roots to which the eggs are fastened. The male guards the eggs and fans clean water over them. In Europe the zander lives to the east of the watersheds of the rivers Rhine and Danube, although in recent years it has been introduced into many other areas including eastern England. It is an important fish with excellent flesh and is therefore caught in various types of nets and also highly prized by anglers.
It is closely related to the North American walleye, also a much valued angling fish.
Maximum size and weight:
130 cm, 12 kg.
Identifying characteristics : Elongated cylindrical body; blackish-brown stripes on the sides often disintegrate into individual spots. Large 'canine'
