Fishes of Kazakhstan

There are more than 40 thousand lakes in Kazakhstan, over 4000 reservoirs have been built in which fresh water reserves are accumulated. Many bodies of water contain large numbers of fish. Here you can find a wide variety of fish - for example, in the reservoirs of Kazakhstan there are such types of fish as: white carp, Caspian silverside, white-eye, white fish, beluga, striped bystria, goby - several species, roach, char - several species, minnow fish - several species, sponge fish, dace - several species, asp, crucian carp, sprat, stickleback - several species, lenok, bream, tench, salmon, marinka - several species, burbot, nelma, perch, sturgeon, osman, gudgeon - several species, roach, sculpin, podust, belly, carp, stellate sturgeon, herring, catfish, pike perch, silver carp, taimen, barbel, trout, grayling, sabrefish, shemaya, spined lance, pike, ide.

 In general, there are up to 140 species of fish in the water bodies of Kazakhstan. The water bodies of Kazakhstan are valued for the presence of high-quality fish. The Ural-Caspian basin is one of the main areas for the presence of sturgeon fish. In the Syrdarya basin there are such fish as: carp, bream, barbel, roach, shemaya, asp and others. Lake Works и Alakol famous for the presence of fish such as perch and marinka.  Bukhtarma Reservoir rich in sturgeon, taimen, nelma, pike, ide and many other fish.

Commercial fish in Kazakhstan mainly consist of carp, sturgeon and salmon. In the water bodies of Kazakhstan, the most common and commercially important are carp, carp, crucian carp, bream, roach, roach, ide, asp, barbel, tench, marinka, shemaya and saberfish.

 Carp is a freshwater fish, which is especially common in Kazakhstan in the Caspian Sea, in the southern part of Balkhash, and goes to spawn in the Ural, Syrdarya and Ili rivers. Carp is a fast-growing and unpretentious fish, lives up to 30 years and reaches a length of up to 1 meter and a weight of up to 20 kg. When three to five years old, carp is capable of laying up to 1,8 million eggs. Spawning occurs in spring and summer at a water temperature of plus 18-20 degrees. Group spawning involves up to four males per female. The carp mainly feeds on mollusks, worms, and aquatic vegetation. In winter, the carp hibernates.

 Carp, translated from Greek as “harvest”, is distinguished by its particular precocity, fertility, unpretentiousness in maintenance, and resistance to disease. Puberty occurs in the third or fourth year of life. Spawning occurs at temperatures of 18-20 degrees above zero. Pond carp can lay up to 800 thousand eggs, and large ones even more. Carp is considered a valuable table fish.

 Crucian carp is one of the most common fish in water bodies of Kazakhstan. Crucian carp is not a large fish, no more than 500 grams, in rare cases it reaches a kilogram. During spawning, crucian carp gather in schools and lay their eggs in the reeds. Often crucian carp unexpectedly appear in new bodies of water, this is explained by the fact that fertilized eggs, due to their stickiness, stick to the legs and feathers of waterfowl, which carry them over very long distances.

 Bream - this fish is found in Kazakhstan from the Urals to Altai. The fish lives up to 20 years and weighs 2 kilograms or more. Feeds normally, sexual maturity occurs in the third or fourth year of life. Spawning occurs at temperatures from plus 12 to plus 16 degrees of water. Spawning occurs mainly among thickets.

The female is capable of laying up to 150 thousand eggs. The eggs develop quickly from 3-6 days. Today, bream ranks first in terms of catch in Kazakhstan.

 Roach - in Kazakhstan, is mainly found in the Caspian Sea and the Bukhtarma Reservoir - it is a small fish from 15 to 30 cm. It feeds mainly on insect larvae, aquatic plants, and small mollusks. It spawns in the month of May, fertility is up to 100 thousand eggs.. Roach has many enemies, it can be food for many predatory fish.

 Roach, this fish is especially common in the Caspian Sea. The fish lives up to 10 years, has a body length of up to 30 cm. Sexual maturity is reached by two years of life. Spawning in April-May at a water temperature of plus 7 degrees. Fertility is from 9 to 20 thousand eggs. In November, it prepares for the winter - it stops feeding and goes to the lower reaches of the rivers.

 Some species of fish, due to their small numbers and extinction, are listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan; these are fish species such as: thorn, Syrdarya pseudopathonose, Volga herring, pike asp, Aral barbel, Turkestan barbel, Ili marinka, Bolkhash perch, white fish, taimen.