The only freshwater cod that lives in the rivers of Russia is burbot. What it eats, how to catch it and how tasty this fish is - questions that are of interest not only to fishermen. We will talk about this strange fish, which is so similar to catfish, in this article. And at the same time, we will dispel the myth that burbot eats drowned people.
Lota lota
Common burbot is a commercial fish from the cod family (Gadiformes). This is the only genus whose representatives live exclusively in fresh water. The modern classification includes three types of representatives of the genus Burbot:
- Common (Lota lota lota) - a representative of the ichthyofauna of water bodies in Europe and Asia.
- Slender-tailed (Lota lota leptura) - lives in the waters of Siberia and the Arctic coast of Alaska.
- The only species that lives in the rivers of North America is Lota lota maculosa.
Burbots differ in appearance, features of biology. But in general, they are similar to each other and what they eat in nature.burbots.
Legendary fish
The Evenks, the indigenous inhabitants of the polar region, have a legend about a treacherous and cunning burbot who managed to outwit a fox. And in the legends of the Khanty, there was a flying beast Burbot, which ruined settlements and destroyed herds. As punishment, the gods turned him into a fish, which itself became an object of human hunting.
And Stepan Pisakhov's hero of a fairy tale was a simple man from Arkhangelsk Sen Malina. It was thanks to this character, who often got into comical situations while fishing, that the tournament for winter fishing enthusiasts “Balim Malinych” appeared in Arkhangelsk.
General characteristics
The body of this fish is elongated, rounded in the front, and laterally compressed in the back. The head is flat, the eyes are small, on both jaws there are teeth in the form of bristles, with which the burbot easily gnaws through the fishing line. The upper jaw has two antennae, the lower jaw has only one.
The color of the body is spotty and depends on the soil and the transparency of the reservoir where the burbot lives and feeds. The lower these values, the darker the spots. The belly is light in color, as are the fins (two dorsal, two pectoral, ventral, anal, caudal).
The scales of burbot are small, cycloid type. The lateral line and sense organs are well developed - the antennae and the second ray of the ventral fin.
The largest individuals can reach 120 cm in length and weigh up to 18 kilograms. Such giants live in the rivers of the Ob basin, for example, in the Lena River.
Amateurcold waters
Burbot prefers cool water bodies, spawning is from December to February. These fish can be sedentary and semi-anadromous. At the same time, the latter, as a rule, are larger and can migrate over distances of up to 1 thousand kilometers.
These are active predators and saprotrophs. Invertebrates, small fish, organic remains - this is what burbots and catfish feed on. This is what makes these even superficially similar species related. And, like catfish, burbot feeds on the corpses of other animals that end up in the water.
Burbots live in their natural environment up to 25 years old.
Night predator
This fish is nocturnal, its prey is smaller counterparts, frogs, crayfish, leeches, larvae and worms. Burbot's developed senses (sight, smell and touch, hearing) help him find food in the dark and in muddy waters.
Burbots do not like warm water and sunlight. In summer, they hide under rocks and driftwood and may go into a stupor with a temporary loss of appetite. And only at night, when the water temperature reaches +15 degrees, the predator goes hunting.
It is worth noting the exceptional hearing of burbot and his interest in the source of sound. And this, of course, allows you to increase the chances of successful hunting and getting the food that burbot eats in the river.
The wide mouth allows this predator to swallow prey, which is commensurate with a third of the predator's size. The burbot grabs its victim by any part of the body and calmly swallows it without sudden movements. A developed sense of smell allows this fishto smell the decaying remains at great distances, which earned the burbot the fame of a scavenger.
Saving on males
As already mentioned, burbot spawns in winter, for the development of eggs, the water temperature should be within +1 °C. Such conditions are easily achievable in the northern latitudes, and in the more temperate climatic zone, females are ready to lay eggs on rare days of severe cooling. And at the same time, do not bother looking for a male for her fertilization. This method of sexual reproduction is called parthenogenesis, and thanks to the development of fry from an unfertilized egg, burbot retains its numbers in water bodies of temperate latitudes.
On average, there are 15-20 eggs in a clutch, it is located in shallow water, among the stones. During spawning, burbot feeds, which is different from salmon. And precisely in connection with this, catching him during this period is prohibited. Over the entire spawning period, a sexually mature female can lay up to 3 million eggs.
Eggs can drift, and after 30-128 days fry hatch from them. They hide during the day and actively feed at night. What can a burbot fry profit from? Caviar of other fish, small crustaceans and worms. And already during the first year of life, burbot grows up to 11-15 centimeters.
How to catch burbot
Based on what we now know about the way of life and what the burbot eats in the river, the specifics of its fishing become clear.
Experienced anglers identify three favorable periods for this - autumn, winter and spring.
In winter, during the spawning season, burbot fishing is prohibited in many regions. But with a large population in the reservoir, it can be caught directly from under the ice using a vent.
In spring and autumn, burbot is caught on the bottom, on the bait and on the lure for burbot.
It is almost impossible to catch burbot in summer. Well, except for scuba diving when spearfishing.
Features of the bite
But out of season, this fish can be caught either early in the morning or at night, and in such weather, when, as they say, even a dog is not allowed to walk on the street.
For bait, frogs and rotten fish are used - what burbot eats. At the same time, this predator completely swallows the hook and almost does not resist when it is pulled out.
But about what not to do when catching burbot, you can read in the story of the same name by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. Burbot is a slippery fish, and the use of a strong landing net is a must when catching it.
Liver is a famous delicacy
Burbot meat, despite what river burbot eats, is tasty and nutritious. It is rich in vitamins, fatty acids, microelements (phosphorus, iodine, magnesium, zinc, copper, calcium and sodium). But the calorie content of meat is not high, which allows it to be used in diet and diabetes.
But the liver of this fish, which makes up 10% of the total weight of the fish, is considered a delicacy. And this is 6 times more than other fish of similar sizes. The content of vitamins (A, D) in the liver of burbot is higher than in the notorious fish oil.
Eating this fishcan be a good prophylactic for heart disease, atherosclerosis, low immune status. Omega-3 acids and vitamins of burbot meat and liver promote tissue regeneration, increase the level of calcium absorption, which becomes important during recovery after surgery.
Table decoration
The recipe for burbot soup can be read together with the generals in Mikhail Evgrafovich S altykov-Shchedrin's Tale of How One Man Feeded Two Generals.
Fried and baked, in sour cream and in beer - there are a lot of recipes for cooking fish.
It is only worth noting that burbot is contraindicated for people prone to allergies, those who have kidney stones. People with hypercalcemia and hypovitaminosis of vitamin D should use burbot with caution. As, however, and other fish.
But for women in an interesting position, burbot liver is highly recommended. The fatty acids it contains have a beneficial effect on the development of the fetal nervous system.
Results
So, if you are a fan of fishing in cold weather and night vigils, burbot fishing will bring you unforgettable pleasure. For there is no fisherman who would not like to catch this predator. Especially if, when ringing a donkey bell in the darkness of the night, imagine a fish 1.5 meters long and weighing about 20 kilograms. And this is quite possible if you are sitting on the banks of the Lena on a cold autumn night.
