Design LANIQAtuotanto
BreamAbramis brama Flat bream are usually easy to spot, although smaller ones can sometimes be mistaken for silver bream. They are typically silver hued, with grey fins although larger specimens also have a bronze tint along their flanks. Bream are between 35-45 centimetres long and weigh several kilograms; the largest bream caught in Finland was 11.5 kilograms! Due to their large size, bream are economically important prey fish in Finland. Bream inhabit Finland’s inland waters, all the way up to the town of Sodankyla and the coastline with its brackish water. Omnivorous bream often swim in schools and rummage on bottoms sucking up gastropods, bivalve, insect larvae as well as sea plants, with their flexible mouths.  
BurbotLota lota The Burbot spends its days hidden in rocks or dug into the bottom, but when night falls, it goes hunting for small bottom-dwelling fish. It locates its prey using its sense of smell and by touching the bottom with its fins and barbels. Burbot prosper in deep, cool waters, where their speckled brown colouring helps them assimilate. During spawning season, January to March, they meander in shallow coastal waters and spread their spawn into the sand, during a rambunctious mating ceremony. Burbot inhabit Finland’s inland and coastal waters. They may reach a length of one meter and weigh up to 10 kilograms. 
CarpCyprinus carpio Plump and golden hued carp lives in shallow, eutrophic waters in southern Finland and in low saline gulfs along the coast. On its jaws, it has two pairs of barbels that help it seek insect larvae, gastropods and other small animals. It spawns during summer months, once water temperatures rise, unfortunately its offspring are unable to grow strong enough to survive their first winter. Due to their low survival rates, carps must be frequently replanted. They can grow to well over 50 centimetres in length and weigh almost 20 kilograms. Depending on the type of carp their scales can vary - for example, the mirror carp is partly bald and the few scales it does have are large. 
FlounderPlatichthys flesus Flat flounder are masters of disguise; they are able to camouflage themselves by changing their colour according to their surroundings or by digging themselves into sandy bottoms. Frequently only their bulging eyes, with which they observe their surroundings, are visible. Initially flounder offspring are symmetrical like other fish, but soon their bladder atrophies and one eye migrates across the head until it is adjacent to the other eye, at which point they begin their life at the bottom. At night, flounder hunt for food, such as bivalves, Mesidotae entomons and other little animals. At best, flounder are over half a meter long and weighs over one kilogram. They inhabit all coastal areas, but are most frequent in the south-western archipelago of Finland. 
PerchPerca fluviatilis Perch are the most common fish in Finland: one can find them in almost all lake and coastal areas. Perch live to a maximum age of 30 years and may grow up to 50 centimetres long, at a weight of about three kilograms. Their diet consists of worms, insect larvae and small fish. Occasionally, they prey on fish almost as large as themselves - such as eel pout. Perch spend their early mornings and evenings swimming in large schools hunting for food and their nights laying alone on bottoms or resting among aquatic plants. 
RoachRutilus rutilus The red eyed and silver coloured roach, is often the first catch of many hobby anglers. Nowadays it is not valued as a food fish, although charred roach is said to be delicious. During the day, roach move in schools along shallow waters, small roach consuming water fleas and crustaceans, while large ones also eat bivalves and aquatic plants. Roach have been seen nesting among schools of bleak with their tails pointed upward, which is an indication for bleak to begin cleaning the roaches scales. One can encounter roach almost everywhere in Finland, along seashores, rivers, lakes and ponds. 
RuddScardinius erythrophthalmus Rudd is related to roach and inhabit the inland and coastal waters of southern Finland. This beautiful fish resembles roach, but can easily be distinguished from it by its red fins and tail. Larger rudd can reach a maximum length of 40 centimetres. They have a slightly coppery hue, whereas younger ones are silver flanked. The rudd favours eutrophic areas of still lakes or bays and does dislike streaming water. It consumes gastropods, isopods and insect larvae, although the adult rudd also eats water plants, such as bladder wracks, filamentous algae and kelp. The rudd is quite bony and not an ideal food fish. 
RuffeGymnocephalus cernuus The slime covered, mottled brown ruffe is common along Finnish shorelines and inland waters, except for the northernmost part of Lapland. It likes staying at bottoms, at depths of two to 30 meters. At dusk, it searches for food in large schools at bottoms. Its diet consists of mosquito larvae, gastropods and isopods. When threatened, it spreads its spiky fins and gill covers, which usually make its predator, leave and seek an easier meal. Ruffe grows to about 15 centimeters in inland waters and slightly more in coastal areas. 
SalmonSalmo salar Salmon is the king of Finnish fish, at least in regard to its size: fully grown it can weigh over 30 kilograms! However, the history of the Finnish salmon is a sad one. At the beginning of the last century there were 18 salmon rivers, now there are only a few rivers left for them spawn in Tornio, Simo, Teno and Naatamo. Pollution, dams and other factors have eradicated important breeding areas for salmon. Due to the pollution, female salmon must be planted in certain areas to encourage reproduction. Salmon are sea fish and only migrate to rivers to breed. Their offspring usually return to the sea at the age of two. Salmon are ravenous beasts that prey on, among other things, herring and large crustaceans. A subspecies, called the lake Salmon, inhabits the waters of Vuoksi. 
TenchTinca Tinca On lakes or marine bays, on sunny summer days in southern Finland, one may see a school of dark sturdy tench swimming close to the surface enjoying the warmth. Despite this habit, tench are bottom dwellers, which prosper in eutrophic, muddy water bottoms. They seek food in the shelter of the dark and favour water plants, worms and gastropods. When surprised they quickly slip into muddy bottoms or hide amidst vegetation. Half a meter long and at best over two kilograms in weight, they are considered food fish, although their appreciation varies depending on region. 
TroutSalmo trutta Trout are treasured fish of Finland’s inland waters. They prefer clean, cool, oxygen-rich bodies of water and reside all over Finland. The trout has a unique behavioural trait that sets it apart from lake salmon; it not only swims upstream but also downstream to spawn. Large trout may weigh more than 15 kilograms and be over one meter long. Trout consume insects, crustaceans and other fish. |
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