Currently, the ecological state of the capital's water artery is so terrible that many people doubt whether there are fish in the Moscow River. There is an opinion that the entire ichthyofauna in the urban part of the channel died long ago due to the increased concentration of chemicals. However, according to the results of the research, it was found that there are a lot of fish in the river, but the species diversity leaves much to be desired.
A brief description of the Moscow River
The Moscow River is a medium-sized water artery in the central part of Russia, flowing through the territory of the Smolensk and Moscow regions. Its total channel length is 473 kilometers and its drainage basin is 17,600 km2.
The source is located on the Smolensk-Moscow Upland, where the waters flow from the Starkovsky swamp and go down the slope in the form of a small stream. After 16 kilometers, the latter flows into Lake Mikhalevskoe, from which it emerges as a full-fledged river.
The mouth is located on the territory of Kolomna, where the Moskva River flows into the Ob as a right-hand tributary.
Research on the species composition of fish
Basic information on the state of the ichthyofauna was obtained in 1993 during a series of successive captures on a 70-kilometer section of the channel passing through Moscow.
The study was aimed at answering the question of what kind of fish is found in the Moscow River and how much environmental disturbance has affected the biodiversity and quantitative composition of populations of various representatives of the ichthyofauna.
General characteristics of the ichthyofauna
The question "what kind of fish is found in the Moscow River" is primarily related to the violation of the ecology of its basin by the economic activities of the capital. Indeed, the concentrations of heavy metals and zinc in water greatly exceed the permissible limits, which cannot but affect biodiversity.
The worst situation is observed in the city and the section of the channel, located downstream. Nevertheless, this river is still considered the most fishy water artery of the Moscow region. However, this characteristic has more practical rather than ecological significance, since it refers to the size of the possible catch, rather than the number of species and the balance between populations.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, a lot of research has been done to find out what kind of fish lives in the Moscow River. As a result, it was found that the ichthyofauna in the aggregate has 35 species assigned to 12 families.
At first glance, thisvery good, but if we take into account the size of the populations, it turns out that as a result of human economic activity, fish biodiversity has long been replaced by monodiversity. The latter is expressed in the fact that from 50 to 90% of all individuals of the ichthyofauna are roach. And it is not surprising, since this species belongs to eurybionts (organisms with high adaptability to changes in environmental conditions). In addition, the roach is very resistant to water pollution, which has allowed it to take a dominant position in the human-damaged biotope.
Species diversity
The number of fish species in the Moscow River varies depending on the section of the channel. The highest biodiversity is noted in the western section of the water artery, which is associated with a more favorable environmental situation in this zone. Here the river is just beginning to enter the city limits and therefore has 24-27 species. In the central region of the capital, the diversity is sharply reduced to 10-13, and in some places - to two representatives of the ichthyofauna. At the exit from the city, the number of species increases to 16.
These data only partially answer the question of what kind of fish are found in the Moskva River, since they do not contain information on the size of the populations. So, if a species is found on a specific section of the channel, it is included in the composition of the ichthyofauna, regardless of the number of individuals living in this part.
Detailed information about which fish are present in the largest numbers in the Moscow River is reflected in the reports of employees of Moscow State University and the Institute of Animal Ecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. They carried out an appropriate ichthyologicalstudy.
What kind of fish is found in the Moscow River: photo and description
In general, the ichthyofauna of the Moskva River is characterized by the following composition (information for ease of perception is presented in the table).
| Family name | Number of species |
| Pike | 1 |
| Gobies | 2 |
| Acne | 1 |
| Codfish | 1 |
| Loach | 2 |
| Pike | 1 |
| Pecilia | 1 |
| Cyprinids | 20 |
| Salmon | 1 |
| Perchfish | 3 |
| Hollowers | 1 |
| Katfish | 1 |
Among them, roach, bream and perch are found in large numbers. Specimens of these fish made up the majority of the catch at all sampling points.
Gobies came across all over the city limits, successfully adapted to the changed ecological situation. Other acclimatizing species include silver carp and eel.
In the area of Kuryanovsky plums, a high population of aquarium guppies was noted, which were accidentally brought into these waters from residents' apartments. In the Moscow River, a sabrefish was also found, which had not previously lived in its waters. The former numerous podust and dace have now almost disappeared.
All this indicates thatThe urbanization of the capital's waterway has led to the reduction and extinction of some species, and the settlement of others. For the latter, the waters of the city limits are not destructive, but, on the contrary, favorable for growth and reproduction, since pollution has led to an increase in the content of organic matter, which serves as an excellent food base.
However, the high concentration of chemicals still affected the adaptive species. So, deformities were found in some of the caught individuals.
Of the predatory fish in the Moscow River live:
- pike;
- zander;
- burbot;
- asp.
However, these species were found in single numbers.
Thus, answering the question about what kind of fish is found in the Moscow River, we can distinguish 3 mass species, arranging them in descending order of population size:
- roach (50-90%);
- bream (12-20%);
- perch (up to 18%).
In certain sections of the channel, goldfish also abound (up to 15%). In recent years, there has also been an increase in the number of zander.
These representatives are the background inhabitants of the capital's waterway, making up the backbone of the city's ichthyofauna.
Roach
Representatives of common roach live in the Moscow River. It is a small fish with an oval body covered with light silver scales darkened on the back, which are usually blackish in color with a blue or green tint. The fins are colored as follows:
- tail and dorsal - gray-green with redshade;
- chest - have a yellow color;
- abdominal and anal are red.
The maximum body length of a roach is 50 cm, and the weight of the largest individuals reaches 3 kilograms.
Representatives of common roach live in the Moscow River. This species of the carp family
Roach within Moscow is characterized by two eco-forms:
- molluscivorous;
- herbivorous.
Adapted to the conditions of life in urbanized waters, these populations have acquired qualities that distinguish them from standard individuals of common roach.
Bream
Common bream is a monotypic representative of the Carp family. This species ranks second in frequency of occurrence in the Moscow River.
This fish has a relatively high body (up to a third of its length) and a small head. The mouth has a retractable tube. The sides of the common bream are silvery-brown, and the back is pure brown or gray. The belly is usually yellowish in color.
This fish is much bigger than roach. An adult can grow up to 82 cm and weigh 6 kilograms.
Perch
Common perch is a common predatory inhabitant of the fresh waters of Europe and Asia. The frequency of its catch in the Moscow River reaches 18% of the total ichthyofauna.
Perch is a rather small fish (body length up to 50 cm, weight up to 2 kg). The average size is 15-22 cm. The species is characterized by a laterally flattened body with a hump above the head.and a large dorsal fin. The color of the body is greenish-yellow with a white belly and a darkened upper part. There are transverse black stripes on the sides.
What kind of fish is caught in the Moscow River
Currently, roach and bream are most often caught on the bait in the Mokva River, which are found throughout the entire length of the channel in large numbers. On the Nizhny Novgorod site, the population of silver carp is high. Species that can be caught with a high degree of probability also include zander and perch. You can also go fishing for the goby, which is found everywhere, albeit in smaller numbers.
The most recommended place for fishing is considered to be a section of the channel, located upstream from the city. Here it is possible to catch rarer representatives of the fish fauna of the Moscow River. In addition, in this area the water is clear enough for fish to be eaten. Although in this sense it is desirable to fish as far as possible from the city.
In the capital, you can catch giant (up to 50 kg) silver carps, which in their natural environment cannot grow to such sizes. There is also a chance to get fish that accidentally fell into the waters of the Moscow River from farms or nurseries (amour, trout, large carp). However, it should be borne in mind that specimens caught in the city contain a high amount of toxic substances accumulated in the tissues.
