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MINNOW
This lively inquisitive little fish is
found almost everywhere in the British
Isles - provided there is clean water
and a sandy or gravelly bottom. Its back
is dark green or brown - bordered on the
sides with a golden stripe; the rest is
silvery grey dappled with dark spots and
bars. The scales are very small and numerous.
In the Spring the males have a bright
red belly. Minnows move about in small
shoals - feeding on vegetable matter and
minute creatures. It seldom grows to more
than four inches in length.
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STONE LOACH
This small slender fish is found in clear
water almost everywhere in the British
Isles - except Northern Scotland. Usually
it hides under stones (whence its name)
- waiting for the small creatures on which
it feeds. Its colour is grey-greenish
or brownish - with irregular darker blotches;
the belly is white. There are six barbels
round its mouth - the two at the corners
of the jaws being longer than the other
four. The scales and eyes are small -
the fins dotted or striped. Average length
three to four inches.
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GRAYLING
The small adipose fin near the tail shows
this fish to be a member of the Salmon
family. It is immediately recognisable
by the very large striped dorsal fin -
and the longitudinal thin grey lines on
the sides of the body. It is locally distributed
in Britain - in clear streamy rivers with
deep pools and swift shallows. It feeds
on flies - insect larvae - worms and small
crustaceans. It is a Spring spawner -
unlike other Salmonids.
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BROWN TROUT
Despite its name - it can be of almost
every colour - from silver (Sea Trout)
to black - with a dark back and slighter
belly; the sides are covered with spots
and rings of many colours; the sail is
not forked. Found all over the British
Isles in lakes or rivers - where the water
is clean and well aerated. It feeds on
insects and larvae - shellfish - worms
and small fish. According to the locality,
adult Trout may weigh from a few ounces
to several pounds.
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RAINBOW TROUT
This beautiful species of Trout was introduced
in Europe from North America - and is
found mostly in a few land-locked clear
lakes in several parts of the British
Isles. It has mostly not remained in the
rivers - and has also disappeared mysteriously
from many lakes. It can be distinguished
from the Brown Trout by the red 'rainbow'
band on its sides - with red blotches;
the tail is slightly forked - and covered
with many dark spots.
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SMELT
The adipose finlet near the sail shows
that this slender sea fish is related
to the Salmon family. The back is greenish
- the sides silvery - with a very short
and incomplete lateral line. The large
mouth reveals the Smelt as a voracious
fish; it feeds on small fish, worms, prawns
and shrimps. It enters estuaries in the
Spring - to spawn in fresh or brackish
water - provided there is no pollution.
Not to be confused with the Sand Smelt
(Atherina) - with two dorsal fins. The
Smelt usually weighs about half a pound.
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SALMON
The Salmon may be found in all unpolluted
rivers of the British Isles - provided
they are connected with the sea. It is
silvery - with a dark back and many small
black spots on the sides above the lateral
line; it has a soft dorsal fin and a small
adipose fin near the tail. The Salmon
is born in the rivers and usually spends
the first two years of its life there;
then it descends to the sea where it grows
large feeding on fish - returning later
to the river to spawn.
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TWAITE SHAD
More common than the Allis Shad - with
the same appearance and habits - though
much smaller. Even when adult it retains
a row of dark spots on the upper part
of the body. There is no lateral line;
the scales are smaller and firmer (58
to 66 in a row from gills to tail) - and
gillrakers are short and stiff - numbering
from 30 to 45; these characteristics distinguish
the Twaite from the Allis Shad.
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ALLIS SHAD
It has a dark back and a blackish spot
on the shoulder. It has no lateral line;
there are from 72 so 86 scales from gills
to sail - and numerous fine gillrakers
(from 60 to 120) visible on lifting the
gill-covers. It is a sea fish - coming
into large clean rivers to spawn; the
year-old fish - which has a row of dark
blotches on the upper part of each side
of the body - emigrates to the sea. The
maximum length is 2 1/2 feet - maximum
weight about 8 lbs.
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PIKE
The "freshwater shark" is found almost
everywhere in the British Isles living
alone - preferably near weeds - where
its immobility and marbled coloration
of green and yellow render it almost invisible.
It has a large mouth full of sharp teeth
- a single dorsal fin set back near the
sail - and small-looking scales. It feeds
voraciously on fish - frogs - water birds
- rats - voles - and also worms and insect
larvae.
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PERCH
This handsome fish is found everywhere
in the British Isles in rivers, lakes
and ponds. Its skin is rough - olive green
in colour - shading into yellow and white
- with from five to seven dark vertical
stripes. There are two dorsal fins - the
first spiky and with a black spot - the
second soft; sharp spines are also present
at the beginning of the lower fins - which
are bright red. The Perch feeds on small
fish - worms - shellfish and aquatic insects.
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Originally Illustrated by E V Petts
and described by A F Magri Macmahon for
Brooke Bond as part of their educational
tea cards series.
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