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The Tench

Tench is a Eurasian fish associated with warm, vegetated still water. Adults often feed on bottom animals, including mollusks, along with detritus and plant material.

Range and Identity

Tinca tinca is native across much of Europe and parts of western Asia and has been introduced elsewhere. Historical native limits and introduced populations should remain separate. A record outside Eurasia does not establish a naturally worldwide distribution.

Habitat and Behavior

Adults favor shallow, weedy lakes and backwaters over mud and tolerate relatively low oxygen. Larvae and juveniles stay among dense vegetation. The account describes overwintering in mud, but this does not mean that every fish remains buried throughout all seasons.

Food and Life History

Upper references include seventy centimeters standard length, eighty-four centimeters total length and 7.5 kilograms. The two length conventions differ. Sticky eggs are deposited among vegetation, and larvae remain attached to plants while using their yolk supply. Spawning timing varies with latitude and temperature.

Field Note

Keep vegetation, season and measurement convention with a record. Typical fish should not be described using an exceptional upper size, particularly when standard and total lengths are mixed.

All Lakes With Tench

Browse all lakes and reservoirs with confirmed Tench records in our database, listed alphabetically.

Showing 1–24 of 26 lakes · Page 1 of 2

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