Tench

The tench is a fish.

It lives in slow water. It likes lakes and rivers. It can live where there is not much air in the water.

This fish has olive-green skin. It is very slippery. This is because it has thick skin.

Tench eat things on the bottom. They like to eat snails. They also eat small bugs.

Some people keep golden tench in ponds. They are very pretty to see.

The tench is a fish found in Eurasia.

It likes slow water. You can find them in lakes and lowland rivers. They live in water with mud or clay on the bottom. They do not like fast streams. Tench can live in water with very little oxygen. This is why they stay where other fish cannot survive.

Tench have a stocky shape. Their skin is olive-green. It is darker on top and golden on the bottom. They have very small scales. These scales are deep in thick skin. This makes the fish as slippery as an eel. Some people call them doctor fish. They used to think the slime could cure sick fish.

Most tench eat at night. They look for food on the bottom. They like to eat snails and small bugs. In the summer, they lay eggs among plants. A female can lay 300,000 eggs! Some people keep a golden type of tench in ponds. These fish can be pale gold or dark red.

The tench is a special kind of fish found in Eurasia. It lives in many places from Britain and Ireland to the Ob and Yenisei Rivers. You can also find them in Lake Baikal. These fish like slow-moving water like lakes or lowland rivers. They often live where the bottom is made of clay or mud. They also like to stay near many plants.

Tench are very good at living in tough spots. They can stay in water that has very little oxygen. This means they can live in places where even carp cannot survive. Most tench like to eat at night. They look for food on the bottom of the water. They eat things like snails, pea clams, and small bugs called chironomids. In the summer, they lay their eggs among aquatic plants. A single female can lay as many as 300,000 sticky green eggs.

Scientists have studied the tench for a long time. Carl Linnaeus first described the fish in 1758. He called it Cyprinus tinca in a book called Systema Naturae. Later, in 1764, François Alexandre Pierre de Garsault suggested the name Tinca. In 1878, David Starr Jordan proposed the name Tincidae for its family. We also have many fossils that show us old types of tench. Some lived in Germany and others lived in Mongolia.

Tench have a very distinct look. They have a stocky shape like a carp. Their skin is olive-green and darker on the top. The bottom of their body is almost golden. They have small, red-orange eyes. Their scales are very small and hidden deep in thick skin. This makes them as slippery as an eel. Because of this slime, some people call them doctor fish. People used to believe the slime could cure sick fish.

People interact with tench in many different ways. Some people catch them for food. They can be used in recipes that usually use carp. Other people enjoy catching them for sport in rivers and canals. Some people even keep them in ponds as pets. There is a special kind called the golden tench. These can be pale gold or even dark red. These fish help keep pond water healthy by eating things on the bottom.

The tench, known scientifically as Tinca tinca, is a freshwater fish found across Eurasia.

This species lives in environments ranging from Western Europe, including Britain and Ireland, to the Ob and Yenisei Rivers in Asia. It is also found in Lake Baikal. Tench typically inhabit slow-moving freshwater habitats. These include lowland rivers and lakes. They prefer waters with a clay or muddy substrate and plenty of vegetation.

Taxonomy is the science of naming and classifying living things. The tench was first formally described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. He named it Cyprinus tinca in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae. In 1764, François Alexandre Pierre de Garsault proposed the genus Tinca. While some experts once grouped them with minnows in the subfamily Leuciscinae, modern studies are different. Recent phylogenetic studies, which look at evolutionary relationships, support placing them in their own family, Tincidae. This family name was first proposed by David Starr Jordan in 1878.

The history of the Tincidae family is visible in the fossil record. These fish first appeared during the Late Oligocene period. Fossil genera like †Tarsichthys and †Palaeotinca have been identified. During the Late Miocene, species such as †Tinca furcata lived near Ohningen. Another species, †Tinca micropygoptera, lived near Steinheim am Albuch at the same time.

Other extinct species include †Tinca sayanica from Mongolia and †Tinca pliocenica from Germany. The earliest remains of the modern Tinca tinca come from the late Pliocene of the Netherlands.

Tench are remarkably hardy animals. They can tolerate low oxygen concentrations in the water. This allows them to survive in environments where even carp cannot live. They are most often found in still waters with thick plants. They generally avoid clear waters with stony bottoms. They are also completely absent from fast-flowing streams. Most tench feed at night. They look for food on the bottom of eutrophic waters, which are areas rich in nutrients. Their diet includes snails, pea clams, and animals called chironomids.

Physically, the tench has a stocky, carp-like shape. Their skin is olive-green, being darker on the top and almost golden underneath. They have small, red-orange eyes and a narrow mouth. At each corner of the mouth, there is a very small barbel. One of their most unique traits is their skin. They have very small scales that are deeply embedded in thick skin. This makes them as slippery as an eel. Because of this slime, folklore calls them "doctor fish." People once believed this slime could cure sick fish.

There is strong sexual dimorphism in tench, which means males and females look different. Females can reach weights of around 2 kg, though larger fish exist. Males rarely weigh more than 1 kg. You can recognize males by their larger, more curved pelvic fins. These fins extend beyond the anus. Males also have noticeable muscles at the base of these fins. They possess a very thick and flattened outer ray on their ventral fins. Adult females may have a more convex ventral profile than males.

Tench have significant connections to human activity. They are edible and can be used in recipes intended for carp. Many people also enjoy coarse angling for them in canals, lakes, and rivers. Large tench are known as strong fighters when caught on a rod. Some people keep them as ornamental fish in ponds. A specific variety called the golden tench is very popular. These fish can be pale gold or dark red. They may even have black or red spots. Because they are bottom feeders, they help keep pond water clean and healthy.