''Scardinius'' is a genus of
ray-finned fish
Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species.
The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or h ...
in the family
Cyprinidae
Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest v ...
commonly called rudds. Locally, the name "rudd" without any further qualifiers is also used for individual
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
, particularly the
common rudd
The common rudd (''Scardinius erythrophthalmus'') is a bentho-pelagic freshwater fish, widely spread in Europe and middle Asia, around the basins of the North, Baltic, Black, Caspian and Aral seas.
Identification
Morphologically, this specie ...
(''S. erythrophthalmus''). The rudd can be distinguished from the very similar roach by way of the rudd's upturned mouth, allowing it to pick food items such as aquatic insects from the surface of the water with minimal disturbance.
The
Greek rudd (''S. graecus'') is a similar fish, about 40 cm long. It occurs only in the southern tip of the Greek mainland. It lives in lakes and slow-flowing rivers, forming large schools. It spawns around April–June among underwater plants in shallow water. It feeds on small crustaceans, the larvae and pupae of insects, and on plant material. The majority of its food is taken at or near the surface of the water. The fish is not usually found in deep water. Very little is known about the biology of this species. It is important locally, both to anglers and commercial companies.
[Freshwater Fishes of Britain and Europe, Rainbow Books, 1992, Elsley House, 24–30, Great Titchfield Street, London W1P 7AD. Originally published in 1983 as a Kingfisher Guide to Freshwater Fishes. ]
Species
* ''
Scardinius acarnanicus''
Economidis, 1991
* ''
Scardinius dergle''
Heckel & Kner, 1858
* ''
Scardinius elmaliensis
''Scardinius elmaliensis'' is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae.
It is found only in Turkey.
Its natural habitats are rivers and freshwater lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by ...
''
Bogutskaya, 1997
* ''
Scardinius erythrophthalmus''
(Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, t ...
, 1758) (common rudd)
* ''
Scardinius graecus''
Stephanidis, 1937 (Greek rudd)
* ''
Scardinius hesperidicus''
Bonaparte, 1845
* ''
Scardinius knezevici''
Bianco & Kottelat, 2005
* ''
Scardinius plotizza''
Heckel & Kner, 1858
* ''
Scardinius racovitzai''
G. J. Müller, 1958
* ''
Scardinius scardafa''
( Bonaparte, 1837)
References
External links
*
All About Rudd - Article
Cyprinidae genera
Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{Leuciscinae-stub