Tench
Tinca tinca
Similar species
Size
30-40 cm, 0.5-1.5 kg.
Appearance
The distinctive shape and colour of the tench make it difficult to confuse with any other fish. This thick-set fish has an overall rounded appearance, including the fins. Caudal fin almost unforked, tips rounded. Like the carp, it has a single pair of barbels at the mouth, but its dorsal fin is much shorter and the scales so small (95-120 along the lateral line) as to give an almost scaleless appearance. Eyes very small. Pelvic fins longer in male than female.
Colouring
Overall dark, colour fading after death. Back and sides olive green with shades of bronze, belly yellow-orange. Eyes red and fins dark brown.
Reproduction
Spawns on the bottom among reeds once the water temperature has reached 18-20 degrees, i.e. usually in June-July.
Food
Benthic invertebrates.
Distribution and habitat
Occurs naturally in Finland, and numbers have been boosted by stocking. Tench do not thrive above latitude 62 north and are thus restricted to nutrient-rich lakes in southern Finland and sea inlets of the Gulf of Finland. Tench are typical bottom fish, seldom moving into surface water.
