European Minnow
As their name suggests, European minnows come from waterways of Europe. However that is not the only place in which they may be found. European minnows now inhabit most of northern Asia as well. They are most common in clean, freshwater, fast-flowing rivers, but also inhabit some clean ponds and lakes.
European minnows move through their freshwater homes by the use of their many fins. They propel themselves through the water by the swishing of their caudal, or tail, fins and the paddling of their pectoral and pelvic, or side and upper belly fins. European minnows stay balanced in the water because of their steady dorsal and anal, or back and belly, fins.
These small, freshwater fish usually have dark green scales on their backs and silvery scales on their bellies, but these colors change according to the fish's mood. When European minnows are alarmed they go completely pale. European minnows generally grow to be about three to four inches (7 to 10 centimeters) long. Female European minnows may be much larger than the males, especially during the spawning season when their bellies swell with eggs.
European minnows spawn between April and July. Schools, or large groups, of male and female European minnows mingle together in the water before pairing off and mating. As two European minnows pair off, they swim to the river bottom before spawning. A single female European minnow may release up to 1,000 eggs for a male to fertilize. These fertilized eggs stick to rocks in clumps and develop over a 5 to 10 day incubation period. An incubation period is the growth period between the fertilizing and hatching of eggs. The warmer the water, the shorter the incubation period.
Young European minnows, called fry, live off of the yolk sacs attached to their stomachs for their first few days. As the minnows begin to grow, they learn to find food for themselves. The average fry lives on a diet of microorganisms that float in the water, until it is big enough to attack insects and worms. Eventually, these fry have grown enough to begin eating the diet of fully-grown European minnows.
As omnivores, or animals which eat both meat and plants, European minnows feed on a variety of aquatic, or water-living, animal and plant life. Their diets include freshwater shrimp, worms, insect larvae, flies, mosquitos, and algae.
European minnows were once caught for food in medieval Europe. They were even served as special treats at state banquets. They are still caught for food in some parts of Europe.
Like other fish, European minnows need oxygen to survive. They get the oxygen they need from the water in which they live. European minnows take water into their mouths, keep the oxygen they need, and filter the waste chemicals out through the gills on the sides of their bodies.
The life span of the European minnow is unknown.
Source: Encyclopedia of Animals
European minnows move through their freshwater homes by the use of their many fins. They propel themselves through the water by the swishing of their caudal, or tail, fins and the paddling of their pectoral and pelvic, or side and upper belly fins. European minnows stay balanced in the water because of their steady dorsal and anal, or back and belly, fins.
These small, freshwater fish usually have dark green scales on their backs and silvery scales on their bellies, but these colors change according to the fish's mood. When European minnows are alarmed they go completely pale. European minnows generally grow to be about three to four inches (7 to 10 centimeters) long. Female European minnows may be much larger than the males, especially during the spawning season when their bellies swell with eggs.
European minnows spawn between April and July. Schools, or large groups, of male and female European minnows mingle together in the water before pairing off and mating. As two European minnows pair off, they swim to the river bottom before spawning. A single female European minnow may release up to 1,000 eggs for a male to fertilize. These fertilized eggs stick to rocks in clumps and develop over a 5 to 10 day incubation period. An incubation period is the growth period between the fertilizing and hatching of eggs. The warmer the water, the shorter the incubation period.
Young European minnows, called fry, live off of the yolk sacs attached to their stomachs for their first few days. As the minnows begin to grow, they learn to find food for themselves. The average fry lives on a diet of microorganisms that float in the water, until it is big enough to attack insects and worms. Eventually, these fry have grown enough to begin eating the diet of fully-grown European minnows.
As omnivores, or animals which eat both meat and plants, European minnows feed on a variety of aquatic, or water-living, animal and plant life. Their diets include freshwater shrimp, worms, insect larvae, flies, mosquitos, and algae.
European minnows were once caught for food in medieval Europe. They were even served as special treats at state banquets. They are still caught for food in some parts of Europe.
Like other fish, European minnows need oxygen to survive. They get the oxygen they need from the water in which they live. European minnows take water into their mouths, keep the oxygen they need, and filter the waste chemicals out through the gills on the sides of their bodies.
The life span of the European minnow is unknown.
Source: Encyclopedia of Animals
posted by James at 1:04 PM
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