Design LANIQAtuotanto
Baltic herringClupea harengus membras Silver flanked and with dark backs, Baltic herring move in large schools in the Baltic Sea, feeding on crustaceans and water fleas. The Baltic herring is a subspecies of the ocean herring, which has adapted to the low salinity of the Baltic Sea. During the spring, schools of herring arrive to spawn in the shallow waters of the inner archipelago shores. As the water temperature rises, herring move to spawn further out in the archipelago, where temperatures rise more slowly. Some herring also spawn in the fall along shores of outside islands. Fully-grown, Baltic herring are about 15-20 centimeters long. Economically, the Baltic herring is the most important fish in Finland. Humans, however, are not the only ones who savour Baltic herring, cod and pike also prey on them in great numbers.  
Black gobyGobius niger Black goby live among stones and bladder wracks, lurking for prey. Leaning on the bottom, with their characteristically united abdominal fins, black goby observe their surroundings with big bulging eyes seeking their prey, such as worms, mollusc and crustaceans. They inhabit bottoms alone or in pairs. Females attach their eggs onto water plants or stones, while male guards them until the young hatch. Although they are only about 10 centimetres long, black gobies are the largest gobies in Finland. In the Baltic region, they have spread to the Aland archipelago, Aland and the shores of the Bothnian Sea. 
EelpoutZoarces viviparus Resembling burbot, the eelpout has a large, wide head and a thick-lipped mouth. The eelpout is a fish of the seas, which hides on bottoms among bladder wracks and rocks and preys upon shrimp, isopods, and small fish. It is our only fish that gives birth to live offspring. In the depth of winter, it gives birth to 3-4 centimetres long offspring, which look no different from the adults. Fully-grown eelpout are usually 15-35 centimetres long. Their bones turn green during cooking due to phosphorous compounds. This is not, however, a sign of toxicity. The eelpout is a seldom eaten, yet savoury fish. 
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. 
Four-horned sculpinTriglopsis quadricornis In deep, dark, cold bottoms rests the large-headed four-horned sculpin. Occasionally, it chases after Mesidotea entomons or shrimp, which it easily devours with its large mouth. The four-horned sculpin also eats fish, particularly during winter months when it migrates to shallow coastal waters. Spawning occurs in early winter when the female deposits a glob of spawn, which the male guards until the young hatch. Four-horned sculpin inhabit coastal areas in Finland and the deep lakes of Finland’s lake district, where they spread to after the Ice Age. They reach a length of about 20-30 centimetres in coastal regions, but are significantly smaller in inland waters. Sea faring four-horned sculpin have four bony bumps crowning their head. 
MinnowPhoxinus phoxinus Up to 10 centimeters in length, the minnow swims happily in shore waters and is a familiar sight to many. During summer months, it enjoys swimming in schools, but during the winter, it seeks seclusion in deeper waters. The minnow is abundant in Finland's inland waters, lakes, streams and coastal areas. Despite its abundance, it has no economic value. Nevertheless as an aquarium and research fish, it is interesting and easy to take care of. The minnow's diet consists of water fleas, insect larvae, small bottom-dwelling crustaceans and gastropods. 
Nine-spined sticklebackPungitius pungitius The nine-spined stickleback lives near shores among aquatic plants, hidden from prey. This coppery fish is one of our smallest fish, only about 3-5 centimetres long. On its back, it often has nine sharp dorsal spines, which it uses to defend itself against predators. It eats water fleas and copepods. During spawning season in the summer, it builds a nest among water plants where the female deposits her eggs after a complex breeding ceremony. The male guards the nest while the eggs develop, which usually takes less than a week. Nine-spined stickleback is an inhabitant of large lakes and areas in Finland. 
Three-spined sticklebackGasterosteus aculeatus The three-spined stickleback stays near shores and is covered with metallic hued bone plates. Its diet consists of water fleas and plankton, which it hunts for in small schools. During spawning period, red-bellied males conquer a territory near the bottom and build a nest using pieces of aquatic vegetation. They bravely protect their offspring using their three dorsal spines. The three-spined stickleback is a migratory fish, but only a few swim upstream to spawn; many prefer to stay in brackish sea bays. They inhabit Finnish coastal areas as well as the inland waters of northern Lapland. They are about 5-7 centimetres long. |
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