Pelecus cultratus, commonly known as the ziege, sichel,[1] sabre carp or sabrefish, is a cyprinid fish species from Eastern Europe and adjacent Asian regions, the only one in its genus, inhabiting the lower reaches of rivers and brackish waters in the eastern Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Aral Sea basins. The ziege having no major threats, the IUCN lists it as being of Least Concern.[1]
| Pelecus cultratus | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Subfamily: | Leuciscinae |
| Genus: | Pelecus Agassiz, 1835 |
| Species: | P. cultratus
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| Binomial name | |
| Pelecus cultratus | |
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Description
editThe ziege resembles a large Baltic herring in appearance. It grows to about 25 to 40 cm (10 to 16 in) in length. It has a keel on its belly which from the side looks curved while the back is almost straight. It has an upturned snout and the tip of the lower jaw also slopes steeply upwards.[3] The lateral line is wavy and very low down the flank. The pectoral fin is long and pointed. This is a pale, silvery fish with almost colourless fins.[4]
Distribution
editThe ziege can be found in waters of the Baltic states and Eastern Europe.[5] It can also be found in other European and Asian countries such as Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. It usually swims near the surface in estuaries and lakes, and some populations live permanently in rivers and streams.[1][4]
Biology
editThis fish feeds on zooplankton, swimming invertebrates such as crustaceans, small fish and floating insects. It breeds in May and June, travelling up-river to find suitable open water locations. It sometimes breeds in brackish water, for example in the Gulf of Finland. The eggs float, and in rivers, drift with the current. They hatch after about three to four days. After spawning, the migratory fish return to estuaries to feed.[1]
References
edit- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). "Pelecus cultratus". FishBase.
- ^ a b c d e Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Pelecus cultratus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T16494A5942384. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T16494A5942384.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ Nicholas Bailly (2008). "Pelecus cultratus (Linnaeus, 1758)". WoRMS. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
- ^ Liu, Zhengwen; Herzig, Alois (1 October 1996). "Food and feeding behaviour of a planktivorous cyprinid, Pelecus cultratus (L.), in a shallow eutrophic lake, Neusiedler See (Austria)". Hydrobiologia. 333 (2): 71–77. doi:10.1007/BF00017569. ISSN 1573-5117. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Ziege: Pelecus cultratus". NatureGate. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
- ^ "Taxon Details". Fauna Europea. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013.