Zander

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Zander
Sander lucioperca 1.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Subfamily: Luciopercinae
Genus: Sander
Species:
S. lucioperca
Binomial name
Sander lucioperca
Synonyms [2]
  • Perca lucioperca Linnaeus, 1758
  • Lucioperca lucioperca (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Stizostedion lucioperca (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Centropomus sandat Lacépède, 1802
  • Lucioperca sandra Cuvier, 1828
  • Lucioperca linnei Malm, 1877

The zander (Sander lucioperca), sander or pikeperch, is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Percidae, which also includes perch, ruffe and darter. It is found in freshwater and brackish habitats in western Eurasia. It is a popular game fish and has been introduced to a variety of localities outside its native range. It is the type species of the genus Sander.

Contents

Taxonomy

The zander was first formally described in 1758 as Perca lucioperca by Carolus Linnaeus in volume 1 of the tenth edition of Systema Naturae and he gave the type locality as "European lakes". [3] When Lorenz Oken (1779–1851) created the genus Sander he made Perca lucioperca its type species. [4] The zander is part of the European clade within the genus Sander which split from a common ancestor with the North American clade, which the walleye (S. vitreus) and the sauger (S. canadensis) belong to, around 20.8 million years ago. Within the European clade the Volga pikeperch (S. volgaensis) is the most basal taxon and shares features with the North American clade, such as being a broadcast spawner. In contrast in the zander and the estuarine perch ( S. marinus ) the males build nests and the female spawn into these nests and the males then guard the eggs and fry. The lineage leading to the zander is thought to have diverged from the common ancestor with the Volga pikeperch circa 13.8 million years ago while the split from the estuarine perch took place around 9.1 million years ago. [5]

Description

The zander is the largest member of the Percidae and it usually has a long and muscular body which bears some resemblance to a Northern pike (Esox lucius), hence the alternative English common name of pikeperch. [6] The upper part of its body is green-brown in colour and this extends onto the sides as dark vertical bars, in a pattern not dissimilar to that of the European perch (Perca fluviatilis) while the lower part of the body is creamy-white. Their caudal fin is dark and the pectoral, pelvic and anal fins are paler off-white in colour. [7] The dorsal and caudal fins are marked with rows of black spots on the membranes between the spines and rays, these are largest and most obvious on the first dorsal fin. [8] The juveniles are silvery in colour, becoming darker as they age. They have powerful jaws which are armed with many sharp teeth with two long canines in the front of each jaw. [7] They have large bulbous eyes [9] which are opaque when the fish is living in particularly turbid conditions, an adaptation to low light. There is a single flat spine on the operculum. [7] Like other members of the perch family the zander has a split dorsal fin with the first dorsal fin having 13–20 spines and 18–24 soft rays, while the anal fin has 2–3 rays and 10–14 soft rays. [2] The caudal fin is long and forked. [10]

The zander has a maximum published standard length 100 centimetres (39 in), although they are more commonly found at around 50 centimetres (20 in). [2] This species can reach 20 kg (44 lb) [11] of weight, although typical catches are considerably smaller. The IGFA All-Tackle world record zander was caught in Lago Maggiore, Switzerland in June 2016 weighing 11.48 kg (25.3 lb). [12] Zander reach an average length of 40–80 cm (15.5–31.5 in) with a maximum length of 120 cm (47 in).

Juvenile Zander may have a stripe pattern Juvenile Zander.jpg
Juvenile Zander may have a stripe pattern

Distribution

The zander is very widely distributed across Eurasia, occurring in the drainages of the Caspian, Baltic, Black, Aral, North and Aegean Sea basins. [13] The northern boundary of its distribution is in Finland. It has been introduced to Great Britain, southern Europe, and continental Europe west of the Elbe, Ebro, Tagus and Jucar drainages, as well as to Anatolia, North Africa, Siberia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. [1]

In the UK, zander was originally introduced in 1878 by Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford, into lakes on his Woburn Abbey estate and soon after that into the Great Ouse Relief Channel in The Fens. [9] British Waterways included zander among a "dirty dozen" non-native species most likely to harm native wildlife along rivers in Great Britain. [14]

Their success in establishing themselves was owed to a number of factors, one of which is that they are particularly well adapted to life in the slow-flowing, sparsely vegetated, rather murky waters that comprise so many of the British lowland rivers. [15] Zander thrive in water with rather low visibility, unlike pike, which often dominate the predator fish niche in clear water. However, zander need plenty of oxygen and soon disappear from eutrophic areas. [8]

Zander were stocked in Spiritwood Lake, North Dakota in 1989 and have remained ever since. [16] Ecologists believe that if establishment occurs in the Great Lakes they will compete with game fish such as the closely related Walleye or the Yellow perch for food and habitat. [16] Therefore the Government of Ontario is preemptively treating zander as a future invasive species. [16]

In the Netherlands, zander may be found (natively) in many major waterways, including the Waal, Hollands Diep, and other distributaries or estuaries of the Rhine, and are also particularly common in the canals of Amsterdam. [17]

Habitat and biology

Habitat

Zander inhabit freshwater bodies, especially large rivers and eutrophic lakes. They can tolerate brackish water and will make use of coastal lakes and estuaries. Individuals living in brackish water habitats migrate upriver, as far as 250 kilometres (160 miles) for spawning. [1]

Diet

Zander are carnivorous and the adults feed on smaller schooling fish. [2] Studies around the Baltic Sea have found them to prey on the European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus), ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua), European perch, vendace ( Coregonus albula ) and the common roach (Rutilus rutilus), They were also found to be cannibalistic on smaller zanders. They have also been recorded feeding on smolts of sea trout (Salmo trutta morph. trutta) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). [8] In the United Kingdom zander thrive in canals where the water is turbid due to the boat traffic and although their favoured prey in these waters is common roach they have a high impact on the populations of gudgeon ( Gobio gobio ). [18]

Reproduction

The zander spawns over gravel in flowing water, the males defend a territory in which they dig shallow depressions in sand or gravel which are roughly 50 centimetres (20 in) across and 5–10 centimetres (2.0–3.9 in) in depth in sand or gravel. They will also nest among exposed plant roots and the eggs are laid onto these roots. The nests are normally at depths of 1 to 3 metres (39 to 118 in) in turbid water. Spawning takes place in pairs, at night and at daybreak. When they are spawning the female is stationary above the male's nest and the male rapidly swims around her, keeping a distance of around 1 metre (3.3 ft) from the nesting depression. The male then orients himself perpendicular to the substrate and the pair swim around swiftly, releasing the eggs and sperm. The female departs after releasing her eggs. The male remains at the nest and defends it, fanning the eggs using the pectoral fins. Each female lays all of her eggs at once and only spawns once a year. The larvae are attracted to light and after they leave the nest they feed on zooplankton and small pelagic animals. [2] They normal spawning season is in April and May, although exceptionally they may spawn from late February through to July, and the actual period depends on latitude and altitude. The determining factor is that it needs temperatures to reach 10–14 °C (50–57 °F) before spawning starts. [1]

Life history

Zander have a maximum lifespan of 17 year and they are sexually mature at 3–10 years old, with 4 years old being typical. [1]

Parasites and predators

A large number of parasites are known to infect the zander's skin, eyes and internal organs. Its gastrointestinal tract can host the nematode Anisakis , which can be transmitted to humans if the fish is smoked, fried or otherwise cooked at temperatures lower than 50 °C (122 °F). The zander is also a vector of the trematode Bucephalus polymorphus and may have been responsible for spreading the parasite to some French river systems during the 1960s and 1970s, leading to decreases in populations of native cyprinids. [8]

Recorded predators of the zander include other zanders, as well as European eels (Anguilla anguilla), Northern pike, European perch, the wels catfish (Silurus glanis) and the Caspian seal (Phoca caspia). [8]

Use by humans

Whole baked zander served in a restaurant in Balatonfured, Hungary. Whole Baked Zander.jpg
Whole baked zander served in a restaurant in Balatonfüred, Hungary.

The zander is considered one of the most valuable food fish native to Europe. [19] It is esteemed for its light, firm but tender meat with few bones and a delicate flavour. Although it is not generally bred for food, its adaptability makes zander fishery quite sustainable. Indeed, in some regions release of young zanders is restricted, as natural stocks already provide a sufficient supply for the market, while boosting the population of this large predator would have an adverse effect on populations of its prey. Zander is especially well suited for fish fillets. [20] It can also be served whole, baked, smoked or cooked. In some culinary circles, zander is appreciated even more highly than salmon. Even the offals can be cooked into consommé.

In 2004, it was revealed that some restaurants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota were serving imported zander instead of the closely related North American walleye (the state fish, and a popular food in the region). While zander and walleye are almost indistinguishable by taste, the restaurants were selling the European fish under the name "walleye", which is an illegal practice. An investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration followed. [21]

In Ohio, many restaurants were caught using juvenile zander fillets in the 40 to 80 gram range in place of the Lake Erie yellow perch. Shortages of the perch along with skyrocketing prices caused wholesalers and restaurants to use the juvenile zander for popular "pike perch fillets".

A zander in the coat of arms of Kuortane Kuortane.vaakuna.svg
A zander in the coat of arms of Kuortane

In Finland, as a conservation measure, the law regulates the minimum size of zander considered mature enough to be eaten.

In July 2009, in a rare occurrence, a zander bit bathers swimming in the Swiss part of Lake Maggiore, sending two people to the emergency room; the worst bite inflicted a wound about 10 centimeters long. The 70-cm 8-kg fish was later caught by the local police who cooked it and offered it to the tourists for the trouble it caused. [22]

As the largest member of the perch family, zander is a popular game fish in the United Kingdom. However, it is legally a non-native invasive species; any zander caught by anglers must be destroyed. [7]

Aquaculture

Increasing demand for zander for human consumption has attracted great attention of fish farmers. Today, elaborated protocols for the reproduction and on-growing of zander are available. [23] Throughout Europe, an increasing number of aquaculture facilities produce zander for stocking or human consumption, mainly in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Production volume remains low, but is expected to increase. High investment and maintenance costs of RAS require farming of high value species with good market acceptance such as zander. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perch</span> Genus of fishes

Perch is a common name for freshwater fish from the genus Perca, which belongs to the family Percidae of the large order Perciformes. The name comes from Greek: πέρκη, romanized: perke, meaning the type species of this genus, the European perch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walleye</span> Species of fish

The walleye, also called the walleyed pike, yellow pike, yellow pikeperch or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European zander, also known as the pikeperch. The walleye is sometimes called the yellow walleye to distinguish it from the blue walleye, which is a color morph that was once found in the southern Ontario and Quebec regions, but is now presumed extinct. However, recent genetic analysis of a preserved (frozen) 'blue walleye' sample suggests that the blue and yellow walleye were simply phenotypes within the same species and do not merit separate taxonomic classification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Percidae</span> Family of fishes

The Percidae are a family of ray-finned fish, part of the order Perciformes, which are found in fresh and brackish waters of the Northern Hemisphere. The majority are Nearctic, but there are also Palearctic species. The family contains more than 200 species in 11 genera. The perches and their relatives are in this family; well-known species include the walleye, sauger, ruffe, and three species of perch. However, small fish known as darters are also a part of this family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern pike</span> Species of fish

The northern pike is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox (pikes). They are commonly found in moderately salty and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere. They are known simply as a pike in Great Britain, Ireland, most of Eastern Europe, Canada and the U.S., although in the Midwest, they may be called a Northern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruffe</span> Species of fish

The ruffe, also known as the Eurasian ruffe or pope, is a freshwater fish found in temperate regions of Europe and northern Asia. It has been introduced into the Great Lakes of North America, reportedly with unfortunate results, as it is invasive and is reproducing faster than other species. Its common names are ambiguous – "ruffe" may refer to any local member of its genus Gymnocephalus, which as a whole is native to Eurasia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluegill</span> Species of fish

The bluegill, sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or, as is common in Texas, "copper nose", is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands east of the Rocky Mountains. It is the type species of the genus Lepomis, from the family Centrarchidae in the order Perciformes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock bass</span> Species of freshwater fish

The rock bass, also known as the rock perch, goggle-eye, red eye, and black perch, is a freshwater fish native to east-central North America. This red-eyed fish is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes and can be distinguished from other similar species by the six spines in the anal fin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacramento perch</span> Species of fish

The Sacramento perch is from the family, Centrarchidae, characterized by dorsal fins with spiny elements and known for its nesting behavior. There are about 31 species in this family, which include sunfishes, crappies, and basses. The Sacramento perch is considered in the sunfish group. It is the only species of Centrarchidae whose native habitat resides west of the Rocky Mountains, while all the other species are native to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow perch</span> Species of freshwater fish

The yellow perch, commonly referred to as perch, striped perch, American perch or preacher is a freshwater perciform fish native to much of North America. The yellow perch was described in 1814 by Samuel Latham Mitchill from New York. It is closely related, and morphologically similar to the European perch ; and is sometimes considered a subspecies of its European counterpart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sauger</span> Species of fish

The sauger is a freshwater perciform fish of the family Percidae that resembles its close relative, the walleye. The species is a member of the largest vertebrate order, the Perciformes. It is the most migratory percid species in North America. Saugers have two dorsal fins; the first is spiny and the posterior dorsal fin is soft-rayed. Their paired fins are in the thoracic position and their caudal fin is truncated, which means squared off at the corners, a characteristic of the family Percidae. Another physical characteristic of saugers is their ctenoid scales, which are common in advanced fishes. Saugers have a fusiform body structure, and as a result are well adapted predatory fishes and are capable of swimming into fast currents with minimal drag on their bodies. They may be distinguished from walleyes by the distinctly spotted dorsal fin, by the lack of a white splotch on the caudal fin, by the rough skin over their gills, and by their generally more brassy color, or darker color in some regions. The typical sauger is 300 to 400 g in weight.

<i>Sander</i> (fish) Genus of fishes

Sander is a genus of predatory ray-finned fish in the family Percidae, which also includes the perches, ruffes, and darters. They are also known as "pike-perch" because of their resemblance to fish in the unrelated Esocidae (pike) family. They are the only genus in the monotypic tribe Luciopercini, which is one of two tribes in the subfamily Luciopercinae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European perch</span> Species of fish

The European perch, also known as the common perch, redfin perch, big-scaled redfin, English perch, Euro perch, Eurasian perch, Eurasian river perch, Hatch, poor man's rockfish or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the perch, is a predatory freshwater fish native to Europe and North Asia. It is the type species of the genus Perca.

<i>Gymnocephalus</i> Genus of fishes

Gymnocephalus is a genus of ray-finned fishes from the family Percidae, which includes the perches, pike-perches and darters. They are from the Western Palearctic area, although one species, Gymnocephalus cernua has been accidentally introduced to the Great Lakes region where it is regarded as an invasive species. They have the common name "ruffe" and resemble the true perches in the genus Perca, but are usually smaller and have a different pattern.

<i>Sander marinus</i> Species of fish

Sander marinus, the estuarine perch, also called sea pikeperch or sea zander, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Percidae which includes the perches, ruffes and darters. It is found in eastern Europe in the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Iran, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine. It lives in brackish water and rarely enters rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volga pikeperch</span> Species of fish

The Volga pikeperch, or Volga zander, is a species of fish in the perch family Percidae. It is found in Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny darter</span> Species of fish

The johnny darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is native to shallow waters throughout North America east of the Rocky Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balkhash perch</span> Species of fish

The Balkhash perch is a species of perch endemic to the Lake Balkhash and Lake Alakol watershed system, which lies mainly in Kazakhstan. It is similar to the other two species of perch, and grows to a comparable size, but has a slimmer build and is lighter in colour.

<i>Percopsis omiscomaycus</i> Species of fish

Percopsis omiscomaycus, also known as the trout-perch, the grounder or the sand minnow, is one of two species in the family Percopsidae. Its name comes from the Greek root words perc, meaning perch and opsi meaning appearance. The species name omiscomaycus is thought to be derived from a Native American word meaning trout. These are freshwater fish that prefer clear to slightly turbid water, and are found in rivers and lakes throughout North America. They are a generally small fish found in deep waters by day, but which migrate to shallower waters at night.They are most often seen washed up on beaches and are rarely seen alive or correctly identified. The trout-perch possess characteristics similar to both the trout and the perch. They are an important source of food for many predator fish such as walleye, northern pike, and lake trout. They are not a major human fishery, but are occasionally used as a bait fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luciopercinae</span> Subfamily of fishes

The Luciopercinae is a subfamily of ray-finned fish, classified within the family Percidae, the subfamily includes the pike-perches and zingels. The pike-perches of the genus Sander have an Holarctic distribution while the zingels of the tribe Romanichthyini are found in Europe. They are largely freshwater species but some can be found in brackish water.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Freyhof, J.; Kottelat, M. (2008). "Sander lucioperca". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008: e.T20860A9231839. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T20860A9231839.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Sander lucioperca". FishBase . December 2019 version.
  3. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Perca lucioperca". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  4. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Sander". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  5. ↑ Carol A. Stepien & Amanda Haponski (2015). "Taxonomy, Distribution, and Evolution of the Percidae". In Patrick Kestemont; Konrad Dabrowski & Robert C. Summerfelt (eds.). Biology and Culture of Percid Fishes. Springer, Dordrecht. pp. 3–60. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-7227-3_1. ISBN   978-94-017-7227-3.
  6. ↑ Nolan, Emma T.; Britton, J. Robert; Curtin, Susanna (3 September 2019). "Angler behaviors and motivations for exploiting invasive and native predatory fishes by catch-and-release: A case study on the river severn catchment, Western England". Human Dimensions of Wildlife. 24 (5): 463–479. Bibcode:2019HDW....24..463N. doi:10.1080/10871209.2019.1628324. ISSN   1087-1209. S2CID   197723583 . Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Zander". badangling.com. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sander lucioperca (pike-perch)". CABI. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  9. 1 2 Paul Brown (27 February 2018). "Specieswatch: zander have a look of Dracula". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "ZANDER". Angling Times. 1 April 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "International Angling Rules" (IGFA)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2008. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
  12. ↑ "IGFA World Records Database". International Game Fish Association. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  13. ↑ Hansson, Sture; Arrhenius, Fredrik; Nellbring, Sture (1 July 1997). "Diet and growth of pikeperch (Stizostedion lucioperca L.) in a Baltic Sea area". Fisheries Research. 31 (1): 163–167. Bibcode:1997FishR..31..163H. doi: 10.1016/S0165-7836(97)00022-2 . ISSN   0165-7836.
  14. ↑ "Dirty dozen threaten waterways". BBC News . 14 August 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
  15. ↑ "Foreign Fishes", The Living Countryside magazine (issue 36), p.706
  16. 1 2 3 "Zander". Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  17. ↑ "Zander in Holland". Fishing in Holland. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  18. ↑ Dr Phillip Smith (15 March 2018). "Zander in the canals". Canal and Rivers Trust. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  19. ↑ "Zander". www.fishinginfinland.fi. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  20. ↑ Craig, N (2012). "Fish tapeworm and sushi". Canadian Family Physician. 58 (6): 654–658. PMC   3374688 . PMID   22859629.
  21. ↑ "Walleye or Zander? What Are You Really Eating?". KARE11TV. 7 December 2004. Retrieved 7 December 2004.
  22. ↑ "Switzerland: The teeth of the lake". La Dépêche du Midi (in French). Agence France-Presse. 2009-07-13. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  23. ↑ Policar, Tomas; Schaefer, Fabian J.; Panana, Edson; Meyer, Stefan; Teerlinck, Stefan; Toner, Damien; Żarski, Daniel (2019-10-01). "Recent progress in European percid fish culture production technology—tackling bottlenecks". Aquaculture International. 27 (5): 1151–1174. Bibcode:2019AqInt..27.1151P. doi:10.1007/s10499-019-00433-y. ISSN   1573-143X. S2CID   198190507.
  24. ↑ Agency, Singapore Government Singapore Food. "Recirculating aquaculture system: better farming indoors". Food for Thought. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
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