Belgium - List of fishes

This fish breeds between May and June. During this period, the male has white wattles (pustules) on the it ad. The female lays enormous quantities of small eggs (100 to 300,000) that cling to the vegetation of the territory of the males. Spawning is noisy and causes splashes.

This small fish detects alarm substances emitted by previous preys of a pike. This allows it to determine whether the predator is fasting or not. Breeding occurs from May to July. This species is frequently used as live bait to catch big fish (pike, perch).

The European eel, A. anguilla, is a freshwater fish native to Europe. Abundant until the 1980s, it has been severely affected by overfishing. It is considered a critically endangered species in France and several neighboring countries.

Reproduction of this species occurs from May to July. The female, larger, is "courted" by several males. Its toxic eggs were traditionally used as an emetic. This fish is threatened by human activities (pollution, habitat degradation ...). Reintroduction operations are regularly carried out in the rivers of Wallonia.

This fish, very common in our ponds, is subject to sport fishing. There are several varieties: scale carp, the "mirror carp" (large scales) and "leather carp" (bare skin). it food gives it flesh a smell of vase that disappears after a few days spent in a pool. It is very popular in eastern Europe.

Gobio gobio is the most common species of gudgeon in Europe. It is a benthic fish that prefers clear waters with sandy and gravelly bottoms. During the day, it continuously sifts through the substrate in search of small invertebrates (insect larvae, crustaceans, oligochaetes, mollusks).

The roach is a very common fish in our ponds. Breeding occurs from April to June, the female lays between 150 000 and 200 000 eggs on vegetation, gravel ... Its numbers are increasing throughout Europe. It benefits from warming waters in urban areas and channeling rivers.

This fish is well known in our ponds. The reproduction in this species occurs from May to June, the females lay up to 200,000 eggs on vegetation near the banks. This fish can hybridize with many other species that breed at the same time as it (Roach, Bremen, Bleak ...).

The reproduction of the catfish occurs from June to August. The female lays about 60 000 large eggs in the vegetation, the male protects them for 10 days. Native to Eastern Europe, it was introduced in all major European rivers. In the Meuse, its size can exceed two meters long.

This species is particularly resistant to temperature changes, lack of oxygen and even some chemical pollution. The pelvic fins of the male are larger than those of the female. Contrary to popular belief, the mucus secreted by the skin does not heal other fish.