Roger's Angling Pages
The Bitterling Rodeus sericeus amarus		Carp Family Cyprinidae

The Bitterling is a small fish which reaches a length of barely 8 cm. It is known to aquarists more than anglers, despite it being relatively numerous, especially in Europe. It is only missing from the fringe areas of Europe, in the north (Scandinavia), in the south (Spain and Italy) and in the west (Britain and Ireland). It has been introduced by aquarists to various other places. It usually lives for 4 or a maximum of 5 years.

The males are larger than the females, which is unusual among fishes, and they are beautifully coloured in the spawning season. As well as the usual green-blue stripe on the sides at the back, the dorsal and anal fins become reddish and lined with black, the sides become silvery pink and the back turns dark blue. White tubercles appear on the snout. Spawning occurs in clear, slow-running or still water, often with a muddy bottom, and the presence of nearby fresh-water mussels is of vital importance. Just before spawning. the female grows an ovipositor by means of which she inserts her eggs within the valves of the mussel. The male sheds sperm into the inhalent current of the respiring mussel and thus fertilises the eggs. After several days the fry hatch out and remain in the mussel until no longer requiring protection. The Bitterling repays its debt to the mussel in a similar manner, since the mussel larva spends some time of its development attached to a Bitterling.

Anglers do not like to use Bitterling as bait. Its flesh is supposed to be bitter and rejected by predators, although it has been found in their digestive organs.