Gorceac ordinary

Ordinary oxtongue - small fish, previously familiar to anglers in ponds, is the view from the Eurasian interrupted habitat (Europe and Asia). This species is widely distributed in Europe, is found from the rivers to the east of France to the Neva and Volga. Gorceac lives in the rivers of the Black Sea (Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia). No smartweed around the Arctic Ocean.

Appearance (external structure)
Gorceac very similar to a small crucian, who is a distant relative (one family - Carp). The body of the fish is high ("lescheobraznoe"), laterally compressed, covered with large scales. Head small, no antennae. Mouth small, semi-inferior. Sides are silvery with distinct bluish narrow longitudinal band on the caudal peduncle.
The dorsal and anal fins - bright red with dark edging, back - dark green or gray.
In the Dnieper this fish previously called "Pukas." Local modern names smartweed in Kirovograd, Poltava and Zaporizhzhya regions - "gіrkushka", "sinyavka."

Some features of the biology and ecology

Reproduction
These small fish become sexually mature at the 3rd year of life with an average body length of 3-4 cm in the pre-spawning period, males are very easily distinguished from females by a bright color fins, sides and belly, "Pearl rash" on the snout around the nostrils. In females at the time grows longer "ovipositor."
The very process of spawning is rather original. The female finds a large perlovitsy (shellfish, which many in the ponds and rivers of Ukraine), waiting for when the shell valves priotkroyut and with the help of "ovipositor" "injects" a few eggs in the mantle cavity of the clam. The male at this time circling around perlovitsy and produces milk. Such a procedure is "a la cuckoo" can be up to 10 times as spawning in bitterlings portioned. After successfully tossing a perfect smartweed male guards the eggs with added snail caviar.
Eggs oval, large - 3 mm (larger than, e.g., bream or carp), approximately 5-7 eggs in portions. Fertility of smartweed low - up to 300-450 eggs. Inside the clam eggs develop up to three weeks, and even hatched larvae live in a time perlovitsy and only got stronger, go "live".
In turn, the clam is not available free of fishes your inner space: its seeds are attached to Gorchakov, feed on them, and together with fish spread far across the pond, river or reservoir.

Nutrition
Gorchakov considered as demersal phytophages - fish that feed primarily on vegetation. In our waters objects of its power - different fouling, unicellular algae and zooplankton. In the spring often eats caviar valuable fish species.

Height and weight
Normal adult body length does not exceed 6-7 bitterlings see an interesting fact that over fifty years in the Dnieper reservoirs that fish grew significantly: before its average length was 4.5 cm (Ambrose, 1956). Such is the acceleration of the fish!
The maximum length of it in the Dnipro reservoir, p. Samara, Bazavluk, Ingulets reaches 10 cm These fish have a giant mass to '15 Lives oxtongue short - no more than five years.

Ethology (behavior)
Gorceac ordinary prefers slow flowing and standing water, kept in small flocks closer to the bottom. Habitats necessarily linked to the spread of bivalves - perlovitsy and mussel.
In recent years there has been a sharp outburst of smartweed in the Dnieper reservoirs connected, apparently, with a clear crisis of predatory fish. For example, in the coastal area of ​​the lower reaches of the Dnieper (Zaporozhye) reservoir indicator of the number of the fish catches of young fish reaches 65.8% (view - dominant).
"Thanks" to the huge number of oxtongue becoming a major food competitor juveniles of valuable fish species, so it poses a serious threat to the function of the fish population of our rivers and reservoirs.

Recreational fishing
Oxtongue commercial value has not caught him focused and anglers. Although sometimes use it as a juvenile perch fishing with live bait is justified.
The bait comes very rarely, and then, if the angler uses sverhdelikatnuyu tackle with a hook - zaglotyshem № 12-16 (foreign classification).
In rural areas, smartweed catch "malyavochnitsami" to hunt for bass or winter, when the other refuses to look at fish fishing tackle - for culinary purposes.

Gastronomy
The name "oxtongue" fish received thanks to its specific taste characteristics of the meat. By eating bitterlings immediately noted a bitter taste, especially when frying fish. Many foodies are struggling with bitterness by cooking a small fish in oil.
Not once tasted the big crunchy smartweed bursting with heat frying pan, the author of these words have not noticed a particular bitterness and enjoy later with lacquer "Gorcchakova zharehoy.