Catching rotan is characterized by incredible excitement, a sense of adrenaline and requires from the fisherman not only certain knowledge, but also intelligence. Rotan is a prominent representative of the firebrand family and belongs to a species of ray-finned fish. In addition to the main name, the fish is also called grass, firebrand, Amur goby.

The appearance of a predator, and rotan is such, is quite remarkable, it is easy to remember. The fish has a small, dense body covered with dark scales. Body color can vary depending on living conditions; most often, individuals are gray-green and dark brown, with small spots and stripes.

The abdomen has a grayish tint. When the fish is getting ready mating season, its color changes to black. The head of the predator is quite large for its size; in the mouth, which, like the head, is quite huge, there are many small and sharp teeth. The gill covers exhibit the distinctive soft spine characteristic of perciformes.

The soft fins of the Amur goby are devoid of spines. Two fins are visualized on the back, where the rear fin is slightly longer than the first. The fin near the anus is the shortest. The pectoral fins are round in shape and large sizes. The fin located in the tail is also round in shape.

Externally, the firebrand is very similar to a representative of gobies, but has characteristic difference- small paired ventral fins located closer to the head.

Travyanka really deserves it special attention fisherman, although it is recognized as a weed inhabitant of the reservoir.

Puberty in the Amur bull occurs at 2 years of age. The spawning period begins in May and lasts until July. The number of eggs can reach 1 thousand pieces. The grasshopper prefers to choose either plants or underwater objects as a spawning site.

Upon completion of spawning, the male remains to protect the eggs, although cases of cannibalism are known. The most favorable conditions for the firebrand to live are bodies of water with standing water and fairly dense aquatic vegetation.

Habitat

Initially, the firebrand family lived in the Amur River basin, on Far East Russia, in North Korea, in northeast China.

In the 20th century, a voracious predator was already seen in the Lake Baikal basin, experts explain this phenomenon as biological pollution.

The predator entered the reservoirs of St. Petersburg in 1916. Later it could already be found in Northern Eurasia, in the territory Russian Federation and in most European countries.

Today, the predator from the firebrand family is found in the Volga, Dnieper, Don, Dniester, Danube, Irtysh, Ural, Styr, Ob river basins.

Rotan fish - sizes

Travyanka, like other representatives aquatic life, May be different sizes. The maximum size of an adult specimen is 30 cm, small fish - 14 cm.

The lifespan of rotan is about 5 years, but there are specimens that live up to 7 years.

Rotana lifestyle

The main feature of the predator is its incredible vitality; it can easily survive in bodies of water that are dry and frozen to the very bottom. Fish can adapt to all living conditions, special meaning for it is the presence of a nutritional base in a particular water area.

Here you will find information about the lifestyle of fish.

Rotan fish - how to catch?

Rotan, due to its nature, moves through the reservoir very slowly, setting up an ambush in dense vegetation. The predator has incredible patience and can watch moving objects for quite a long time.

It is possible to provoke him to attack only with an attractive bait that plays actively and emits a specific smell.

For a successful hunt, in addition to properly selected bait, you will also need to prepare suitable gear. Most often, fishermen use a short fishing rod equipped with a strong fishing line with a diameter of 0.3 mm, a sharp hook No. 7 and a shot.

If a worm is used, it must be placed on the hook in such a way that neither the hook nor its sting is visible. The bait is lowered into the water to the bottom and the rod is pulled up with smooth movements. The hook must be done strongly and confidently. When fishing there should be no unnecessary movements, everything is done carefully and quickly.

If the hunt is carried out from a swimming device, then you need to be careful: when the fish is pulled to the surface, it must be immediately taken under the gills, otherwise the prey will open its mouth and the hook may simply fall out of its mouth. It's so easy to be left without a catch.

How to catch more fish?

I have been active fishing for quite some time and have found many ways to improve the bite. And here are the most effective:

  1. . Attracts fish in cold and warm water with the help of pheromones included in the composition and stimulates her appetite. It’s a pity that Rosprirodnadzor wants to impose a ban on its sale.
  2. More sensitive gear. Reviews and instructions for other types of gear can be found on the pages of my website.
  3. Lures using pheromones.
You can get the rest of the secrets of successful fishing for free by reading my other materials on the site.

What does rotan bite on?

The following are considered catchable baits for firebrands:

  • earthworm;
  • fly, grasshopper;
  • bread;
  • cutting fresh meat, lard;
  • bloodworm, maggot;
  • cutting fish;
  • chicken skin;
  • all kinds of jigs;
  • small spoons;
  • a bunch of red thread, a red rag.

The meat emits a specific smell, which has a very strong effect on the predator, provoking it to take active action - capturing the bait. If the intended target is large in size, then it is advisable to cut the meat into strips. Chicken skin They are also cut into strips; when they fall into the water, they begin to move chaotically and resemble small fish.

No predator will pass by such an attractive bait.

When is the best time to catch rotan?

Rotan is a unique specimen that retains its activity for all year round. Fishing with firebrands is considered the most productive in the summer; during the hot period of the year, the fish greedily grab the bait and gain weight. As the water temperature in a particular body of water decreases, the activity of the Amur goby noticeably worsens.

The predator from the firebrand family is the first joy of spring for Amur fishermen.

Unlike the crucian carp, which becomes active with the flowering of bird cherry, and other species of aquatic inhabitants that begin to peck after the river is cleared of ice, the grass that lives in small lakes, where the ice crust melts a whole decade earlier, is the first to open the spring season.

The beginning of catching a predator falls on last decade April and lasts almost the entire hot period of the year, even until autumn month November, when the water in the reservoir begins to freeze.

Large individuals bite well from early spring until July, until the period when water lilies, chilim and mossy algae begin to grow intensively in small lakes. The medium and small Amur goby actively feeds throughout the summer season.

After awakening in winter, rotan’s appetite increases sharply and rushes to any type of bait. To catch it, you can use all types of float and bottom fishing rods.

As for the time of day, it is most effective to go hunting in the early morning, active biting lasts up to 9 hours. In principle, rotan shows interest in bait equally both during the day and at night. What makes this kind of fishing convenient is that you don’t need to adapt to the time factor of the fishing target, and the choice of bait is not important here.

Rotan is a worthy rival and a desired trophy for every angler.

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What gear is needed for rotan?

Among the most effective gear for Amur goby is spinning. To catch a predator, it is recommended to use spinning tackle for bottom fish (drop-shot). The tool is equipped with a sinker, which is mounted on the end of a fishing thread using a carabiner. A hook without a leash is attached a little higher from it.

Postings: stepwise, high-amplitude swinging of the tool, rapid oscillations of the tip, rocking movements of the end of the tackle.

Other catchy types of fishing are:

  • Microjig, where a piece of foam rubber or rubber loaded with pellets is used. After casting the device, the bait is cast 15 cm higher from the location of the fish, in a wave-like manner.
  • Weki equipment, where an edible silicone worm is used as bait. The main condition is that the bait must be hooked in the middle. A bite should be expected when it dives.
  • Float rod. In this case, a fishing tool for rotan is not much different from a float tackle for crucian carp and roach. The main thing here is to use baits of animal origin (chopped worms, pieces of meat). Hunting occurs 20 cm from the bottom surface. Important for a predator active game lures, twitching is carried out with the tip of the rod.
  • Fishing rod with a nod. Taking into account the characteristics of the firebrand’s habitats (pits, depressions, fallen trees), it is worth using a summer version of the jig and a fishing rod with a length of 5 - 8 m. You can put a guard, mounting it at a right angle. For convenience, it is better to use a large and long hook.
  • Also gives good results fishing rod with a little nod, equipped with a spoon and bait (artificial or natural). This option is especially relevant for catching even the most capricious predator; the bait can be easily moved in different layers of water while standing in one place.
  • Winter fishing rod, equipped with a spinner or jig. Going out hunting on the first ice with miniature gear in the form of devils and small jigs is ineffective and inconvenient. Getting such gear out of the mouth of a voracious predator is quite problematic.

As for the shape and color of the tackle, there are no special priorities here; it all depends on the fishing conditions, the nature of the reservoir, weather, time of day and other factors.

For such fishing, it is advisable to take several options of fishing rods with different equipment; by experimenting on the spot, you can choose the catching gear.

Fishing Features

It is necessary to hunt rotan in reservoirs with stagnant water, where mostly peaceful fish live. If there are other predators in the reservoir, in particular pike, the firebrand itself can become prey for another predator.

Luring a grass fish to a specific fishing spot will not be difficult, the main thing is to take care of the bait, it should be attractive, and its game should be quite active.

After the first cast, you shouldn’t expect real bites, first you need to play with the bait, throwing it as close as possible to the location of the desired trophy.

If an artificial nozzle is used, a prerequisite is taste and an attractive smell.

Rotan fish - reviews from fishermen

There is an opinion among the fishing community that fish rotan really has incredible vitality, may be too capricious and dependent on weather changes. The most successful time for firebrand hunting, judging by the reviews of experienced fishermen, is the end of May. Already closer to mid-July, the bite is much worse.

Rotan is a worthy opponent for true fishing fans.

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A few decades ago, ratan fish could only be found in Russia in the Far East. Today, fishermen from all over Russia are sounding the alarm, because ratan has appeared in their native waters - a fish that devours everything around. These unpretentious inhabitants of the standing ones are unusually prolific, tolerate all the hardships of the Russian climate well and feed on the eggs of other inhabitants of ponds and lakes.

Ratan fish: description

The largest representatives have a length of 30 cm, minimum size adult - 14 cm. Externally, the ratan is an unremarkable fish. It has an elongated shape, reminiscent of a firebrand. The color is often changeable, the color of the scales becomes bright black, the rest of the time gray, brown and green tones predominate.

The body is dense, with subtle spots and stripes visible on the back irregular shape. The photo of which is presented below differs in its huge mouth. It is for this disproportionately large mouth that representatives of Perccottus glenii were given the name ratan. Many small but sharp teeth help deal with prey.

Living conditions

The waters of the Amur were originally the homeland of these predators. In the 19th century, seemingly harmless fish began to be imported into central Russia, released into the rivers of St. Petersburg and other cities. And thanks to its incredible vitality, the ratan multiplied so much that it began to displace other fish from reservoirs. This is due to the fact that eggs became the basis of the diet. valuable species tadpoles, larvae, insects, mollusks. The very presence of this trash fish in the reservoir suggests that the remaining species are doomed to extinction. Damage is caused to the entire ichthyofauna.

It is very difficult to get rid of ratan, since this rat is very unpretentious to its living conditions. In order to survive the drought, the ratan is buried in muddy sediments, and with the onset of rains it continues its life activity as if nothing had happened. In frozen bodies of water, the predator overwinters well in the ice. In waters with poor food content, these fish practice cannibalism, eating their smaller relatives.

Scientists' opinions and economists' forecasts

For the reason that ratan is a fish that destroys ichthyofauna, its entry into large rivers and lakes are considered by scientists as pollution. It's not always people's fault. The eggs are often carried by migrating birds. A few eggs are enough for all living creatures in the pond to disappear within 4-5 years. Pike, perch and catfish can compete with firebrand fish. The annual damage from the decline in the number of valuable fish species is growing. Experts do not recommend placing a predator in a ratan fish tank; the fish will quickly get rid of competitors.

But for decorative mini ponds there is no best view. Many anglers note that ratan bites well, especially in winter. For bait, you can use any bait: worms, grasshoppers, meat. The taste of the fish is not bad, but the head takes up most of the body, and the belly is often filled with shellfish and snail shells. For this reason, there is little interest in the fish, and most anglers note that the harm from ratan is much greater than the benefits.

Rotan – fish, brought from the East. In Russian reservoirs, the voracious predator, indiscriminate in food and not picky about living conditions, has found only a few competitors. Therefore, the dominance of local water bodies by rotans began.

Such expansion is not only bad for the ecosystem, but also does not suit the fishermen. In respect of taste qualities rotan trash, has no value. You want to tinker with your catch even less when you feel thick and foul-smelling mucus on your hands. It generously covers the entire body of the fish.

Description and features of rotan

The hero of the article belongs to the perciformes. Among them there is a suborder of gobiformes, separated into a separate family of firebrands. Externally, rotan really looks more like a sea goby than. The large head with a large mouth occupies about a third of the body length.

If you look in the photo, rotan appears with barely noticeable dorsal and pectoral fins and a scanty tail. This further shifts the focus to the animal's head. The body of the fish gradually tapers towards the tail, looking like some kind of appendage.

Rows of sharp teeth are visible in the rotan's mouth. With them the fish digs into worse prey. Teeth are periodically renewed. The grip of a formidable predator does not quite correlate with its size.

Most rotans rarely outgrow the 24 centimeter mark. Typically the length of the fish is 14-18 centimeters.

The dominance of rotans in water bodies of the European part of Russia began in 1912. Then the voracious fish was released into St. Petersburg. Aquarists did this. By the revolution of 1917, rotan inhabited all the reservoirs nearby Gulf of Finland.

In what bodies of water is it found?

River fish rotan It can live in a swamp, in a roadside ditch, or even in a puddle on the road itself. There, the big-headed creature feels even better than in running water.

Firstly, stagnant bodies of water have a higher temperature, and rotans love warmth. Secondly, in the swamps and puddles the hero of the article has no competitors. In the rivers there are larger predators, ready to profit from rotan. Therefore, flowing reservoirs are preferred large species big-headed creatures that can withstand the onslaught of other predators.

Initially, rotan lived in the Amur basin in China. Since the river flows through Russian lands, the fish came to them. Then the rotan fell into the lake. From there the hero of the article was brought to St. Petersburg.

The unpretentiousness of the animal also played a role here. Not every fish will survive such a long journey; at the beginning of the 20th century, the speed of movement across the country and vehicles there were others.

Rotan is considered a trash fish

Rotan loves dark, muddy ponds. Fish survive where even crucian carp die. People say that rotan lives where it is released. After the reservoirs of St. Petersburg, by the way, the hero of the article was released to Moscow. This is again the work of aquarists.

They brought small and unpretentious fish to sell at the capital's poultry market. Making impulse purchases, Muscovites often released their pets into the wild. Rotans cost pennies. Therefore, having grabbed the fish from the hands of the sellers, many only later realized that they did not want to care for the animal.

The situation is especially typical for children who beg for a pet, but are not ready to bear responsibility for it.

If there is silt in the reservoir, the rotan released into the wild will survive. Burrowing into the viscous bottom, the fish successfully exists in almost completely frozen rivers and ponds. The hero of the article also survives in reservoirs that dry up during periods of summer heat. The same silt saves. Having buried itself in it, the fish finds required amount moisture and oxygen.

Types of rotan

The type of rotan brought to Russia is called firebrand. However, there are a lot of alternative names: sandpiper, rooster, greenback, goby, grasshopper, farrier. Blacksmith, throat and wrasse are also on the list. The wide list of names is associated with the rapid spread of hitherto unknown fish.

They caught it in different places and called it differently. In fact, behind all the names there is one type of rotan.

The head is colored brown. The color varies depending on the body of water. IN clean waters rotans are lighter, but in dirty and muddy ones they are darker. Staying near the bottom, the fish camouflages itself, choosing the color closest to the environment.

In the photo there is black rotan

There are, for example, gray-green firebrands. These are invisible against the background of swampy silt. There are dirty brown and even almost black rotans.

Firebrands begin to prey when their body is only a centimeter long. What does rotan fish eat? The hero of the article inflicts damage on the numbers of other species not so much by eating them themselves as by destroying the eggs of others. This is an easy, tasty and small prey for a miniature rotan.

Rotan is a predator that destroys the eggs of commercial fish

The expansion of rotan into water bodies of the European part has back side. Fish can be beneficial in cases where waters are overpopulated with other species. For example, there are too many crucian carp in the pond. There is not enough food for everyone. As a result, the crucian carp becomes smaller, unable to gain maximum weight.

By eating the fry of brooding fish, the firebrand controls their numbers. There is plenty of food for the dwindling population, and the crucian carp in the reservoir is gaining weight.

Outside Russia, two more species of rotans live. They inhabit the rivers and lakes of Asia, larger than firebrands. Otherwise, the differences between the species are insignificant, expressed in the color and size of the fins.

Fishing for rotan

There is no commercial fishing for firebrands. The fish meat is not up to the level of store-bought. But, in private, the hero of the article is caught. Rotan bites exclusively on meat. Lard, fry, and bloodworms are used as bait.

You can fish in the Volga, Dnieper, Irtysh, Ob, Ural, Danube, Dniester and Dnieper. In the eastern part of the country, firebrand inhabits almost all rivers and adjacent lakes and swamps. Amur sleeper gets from a reservoir to a reservoir not only due to human fault, but also when rivers flood.

In small and warm ponds, which the firebrand especially loves, fishing is complicated by vegetation. There is usually a lot of flora in and above such bodies of water. Gear gets tangled in algae, snags, branches and tree roots.

When catching a firebrand for the first time, many people wonder edible fish rotan or not. Those who have already tried it claim that it is possible to eat it. The white meat of the firebrand is tender and soft, but it just smells like mud and is bony.

Basically, rotan is fried in a flour coating, like crucian carp. Having simmered in the frying pan and absorbed the spices, the hero of the article eats with pleasure. Sometimes, rotan meat is added to the combined fish soup. different types fish

When introducing firebrands into the menu, many are interested in benefits and harms of rotan fish. Its meat contains vitamin PP. This is niacin, which is involved in enzyme synthesis, lipid metabolism and recovery reactions in the body. Rotan is rich in microelements such as zinc, sulfur, fluorine, molybdenum, chromium.

Like other fish, the hero of the article accumulates the elements that predominate in the reservoir. Therefore, the benefits of fish are conditional. Individuals caught from polluted water bodies are unlikely to be suitable for healthy eating.

Reproduction and lifespan

Russian rotans are called heads not only because of the size of the head. The association with coals in the stove also plays a role. During the breeding season, the inconspicuous and brown males of the species are covered with orange-red spots. With them, the dense body of the fish becomes like a burning firebrand.

Rotans reproduce in late spring - early summer. The water should warm up to 17-20 degrees. Mating games the firebrand lasts for several days. Fish spawn by attaching sticky mucus to floating objects or bottom stones and driftwood. Females try to find a secluded corner. This way the eggs have a better chance of turning into fry.

Rotan embryos need more oxygen than adult fish. Parents have to continuously fan the eggs with their fins. By creating a current, fish organize an “approach” of water with fresh oxygen.

The responsibility of caring for the eggs is assigned to the males of the firebrands. They not only fan the embryos, but also zealously protect them from predators, rushing to hit them with their massive foreheads.

Rotans live from 4 to 7 years. In aquariums, with proper care, firebrands reach 9 years of age. However, modern aquarists, spoiled by brightly colored fish from overseas, rarely purchase firebrands for visual pleasure.


Calories, kcal:

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Rotan fish, which has a second name of firebrand-rotan, is predatory fish and belongs to the family Goloveshkov. This fish is known for its gluttony and special ability to camouflage itself with color. environment(calorizer). Consequently, the color of the fish primarily depends on the tone of the water and the bottom and can be slightly green or almost black, as well as brown, gray and even yellow. Rotan is small fish, the maximum body length reaches 25 centimeters, with a weight of about 500 grams.

Amur sleeper originally lived in the Amur River, the Russian Far East, northern North Korea and northeastern China. In the 20th century, the fish appeared in the Lake Baikal basin, and it was also released into the reservoirs of St. Petersburg, which led to the spread of rotan in most regions of Europe and Russia.

There are three main types of rotan fish, but only one is found in Russia - firebrand, which has big head And dark color bodies. Few people know about such a fish as rotan, so a fish caught by a fisherman in the next region receives a new, newly invented “name”. On this moment The following types of rotan are known: goby, wrasse, grass weed, blacksmith, firebrand, livefish, gorlach, round log and others.

Calorie content of rotan

The calorie content of rotan is low, only 88 kcal per 100 grams of product.

Composition and beneficial properties of rotan

Rotan, like any other fish, is recommended for dietary nutrition, as it is easily digested and absorbed by the human body. Fish meat is rich in low-calorie and easily digestible proteins, vitamins, which have a positive effect on the immune system and human health. Rotan meat also contains the following valuable microelements.

Rotan is a fish of the order Perciformes. Its body does not exceed 25 cm in length. Amur sleeper is found in the rivers of Primorye and in the Amur basin, but several decades ago it was introduced into many reservoirs, where short term became the main occupant.

Rotan is a small fish, often called firebrand. Its color is dark, from brown to almost black. Brown spots are clearly visible on the belly and sides. The rotan is also distinguished by two separate dorsal fins. The closest relative of this species is the southern goby. The rotan's mouth is large, it is directed upward, protruding forward barely noticeably. Pelvic fins are separate. During spawning, males become almost black. Probably, it is for this reason and, perhaps, for its low mobility that rotan is called a firebrand.

This fish prefers to stay near flooded bushes, in small snags, and in shallows. It feeds mainly on animal food. Rotan is a fish that most prefers the eggs of fry, so it very quickly minimizes the number of other species in the reservoir. Very often, where this species settles, after a year or two there are no other fish left. Rotan breeds only in summer; females lay their eggs on bottom part leaves of aquatic plants. Most often, spawning occurs in thickets of pondweeds, egg capsules and water lilies. The number of eggs in one such clutch is about 10 thousand. Rotan is a very tenacious fish. It can survive even where other species, including crucian carp and tench, die.

Today, rotan is an inhabitant of almost all reservoirs in Russia with the exception of Crimean peninsula. But it is possible that it will soon appear in these places. It has been noticed that in those reservoirs where perch and pike are active, rotan fails to take a leading position. These species do not allow it to reproduce heavily and eat the eggs of peaceful fish. But in ponds and lakes where only crucian carp lives, rotan very quickly masters and becomes the master of the situation. Most often this voracious fish turns out to be the only inhabitant of small reservoirs with very harsh living conditions. These are stagnant quarries, overgrown with mud, overgrown ponds. Rotan is able, no worse than crucian carp, to withstand a critical lack of oxygen and complete freezing of a reservoir in winter.

Rotan is a fish that can be a lot of fun to catch. The largest individuals stay under the cover of duckweed or under the wide leaves of water lilies. This behavior is completely unusual for bulls. When the reservoir is heavily overgrown, they look for clearings or windows among aquatic vegetation. Such places can be created artificially, even with the help of an ordinary shelf. Rotans are not at all shy. They float to a place free of vegetation very quickly, and are not bothered by the presence of humans. Another one spotted interesting feature. Rotan loves the red and white float very much. The reasons for this are not clear. But the fishermen noticed that it was he who attracted the attention of the nimble fish.

This is such an interesting rotan fish. A photo of her can be seen in this article. This fish has individuality and is undeservedly not popular among professional fishermen.