Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Temperate; 60°N - 45°N, 38°E - 51°E
Europe and Asia: Northern Caspian basin (Volga, Ural).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 13.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1441); max. reported age: 5 years (Ref. 59043)
Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal spines: 2 - 3; Anal soft rays: 6. Differs from its congeners in Caspian Sea basin by the possession of the following characters: longitudinal epithelial crests on predorsal scales; scale rows around caudal peduncle 14-16; scales on lateral line 42-43 + 2; dorsal fin with 7½ branched rays; and anal fin with 6½ branched rays (Ref. 59043).
Adults inhabit bottom of moderately flowing lowland rivers, preferring sand bottom. Are nocturnal benthic species feeding on insect larvae and other larger benthic invertebrates. Locally threatened due to pollution and river engineering (Ref. 59043).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kottelat, M. and J. Freyhof, 2007. Handbook of European freshwater fishes. Publications Kottelat, Cornol and Freyhof, Berlin. 646 pp. (Ref. 59043)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00501 (0.00328 - 0.00766), b=3.17 (3.04 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.38 se; based on food items.
Generation time: 1.8 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1
growth studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tmax=5; tm=2).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).