Bubyr fish: goby in fresh water

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

Bubyr is one of the most unusual representatives of goby fish. The distinguishing feature is the environment. He is practically the only representative of his family living in fresh water, although it itself has more than two thousand different species, united, in turn, into 200 genera. The goby is one of the famous fish in its own way. Monuments in Berdyansk and Yeysk are dedicated to him. During the Second World War, he saved the inhabitants of these cities from starvation.

In this article we will look at the lifestyle of this fish, a photo of a goby bull and its features.

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Bubyr is a member of the goby-like family and belongs to the order of ray-finned. The body of this fish is cone-shaped and has excellent streamlining. The head is larger than the back of the body, which is covered with small scales.

Bubyr fish have huge bulging eyes. Thisfeature is inherent in all gobies. It is this feature that makes them look like a bull, for which the family got its name. Fish of this type can have different sizes. The smallest ones can reach eight centimeters in length, while the largest individuals are about half a meter in size. It all depends on the specific type. In turn, Bubyr is a small bull. The size of his body, as a rule, does not exceed 20 centimeters.

This small fish has long fins in the tail and back area (there is a row of pointed bones here). They are called beams. That is why all scientific descriptions of the Bubyr fish designate it as a representative of the ray-finned order. This dorsal fin has two parts. The smaller one is located at the base of the head, and the larger one is in the tail area. In addition, the Bubyr fish has several small fins on the chest and at the tip of the tail. It is noteworthy that in the course of evolution he received a kind of sucker, which is located in the abdomen. Thanks to her, the bubyr, like other representatives of this family, can be fixed on stones.

Lifestyle

Bubyr fish, unlike other representatives of gobies, lives exclusively in fresh water. It is found in such rivers as Moscow, Bug, Ural, Volga. In addition, the Bubyr fish lives in the lakes of the Urals. She leads a sedentary life at the bottom among sands and stones, in the warm months she goes to shallow water.

By nature, these little fish are very slow. They spend most of their lives among rocks and algae,burrowing into the muddy bottom surface. Although the Bubyr leads a sedentary lifestyle, for the winter it leaves the inhabited shallow water to the depths. It is noteworthy that these representatives of gobies, like other species of the family, are very sensitive to temperature extremes. With a sharp decline, the tuber stands motionless in one place. During this period, he does not hunt and spends time like this until favorable conditions.

Reproduction

Bubyr spawning occurs in the spring and summer months. This process takes place at a temperature not lower than 10 degrees Celsius. It is noteworthy that the male equips the nest. He chooses a suitable place under the stone, then invites females there. At the same time, not one, but several females are attracted. This peculiar harem covers the roof of the nest with caviar. The male, in turn, is responsible for creating a kind of flow. Eggs can spoil in stagnant water, so it is fixed on a stone and wags its fins, creating small streams of water. The fecundity of female Bubyr is quite high. The number of eggs can reach three thousand pieces.

Development

Mature caviar has a rounded shape and a yellowish color. Its diameter ranges from one and a half to two millimeters. The eggs on their surface have a small bundle of a kind of hairs. It is with the help of them that they are attached to the walls of the nest. When ripening occurs, the eggs swell and change their shape. From perfectly round, it becomes ovoid, with one pointed end. matureeggs can reach from three to five millimeters in diameter. The hatched fry, in turn, have a size of 5-8 millimeters. It is noteworthy that already at this stage they have formed ray fins, however, they do not have a swim bladder. The development of fry occurs quite quickly, and they acquire the characteristics of an adult within the first month.

Bubyrya diet

Like other members of the family, these fish search for food among rocks and underwater vegetation. Since this species represents predators, the main element of nutrition is small living creatures. These are mainly small crustaceans, worms, insect larvae and fry of other fish species. Hunting is by ambush. Bubyr hides in a shelter and waits for the victim to come close enough. Due to its coloration, this fish can blend in with its surroundings. When the prey comes to the right distance, the tuber abruptly breaks off and swallows it whole. After that, he returns to his place and waits for the next victim.

Bubyr's Enemies

Often these fish become victims of other, larger predators. The most formidable enemies of the bubyr in the rivers are zander and pike. In addition, water birds, especially herons, enjoy eating them. It is noteworthy that this fish is often attacked by snakes.

However, the most serious enemy is man. Due to the high palatability of meat, this fish becomes one of the most desirable. In addition, fishing for bubyr is distinguished by itsintensity. Even the smallest individuals of this species are able to stubbornly resist when caught, which makes catching even more excitement.