Golyanka - The Little Fish of the Kumush River

Golyanka - Phoxinus phoxinus

In Kyrgyzstan, there are two subspecies of this small fish — the Issyk-Kul golyanka and the Chui golyanka. The Issyk-Kul golyanka is found only in the basin of Lake Issyk-Kul, while the Chui golyanka is found in the basin of the Chu River.

Golyanka is very undemanding in terms of living conditions and nutrition, which makes it possible to keep it successfully in an aquarium.

This small fish with very fine scales is also called "golysh," "golychik," "golyachka," "golek," "pestrushka," "pestruha," and "pestraya." Its back is brownish-green, the sides are yellowish-green with a golden sheen, and the belly is silvery. There are spots of various sizes scattered along its sides. At first glance, a golyanka can be mistaken for a loach: it has the same spindle-shaped body with a short and large head.

Golyankas occupy different levels in the water body: the largest are at the bottom, while the smaller ones are higher up.

The diet of golyankas consists of:

Small invertebrates.
Various insects, such as mosquitoes.
Algae.
Plant pollen.
Eggs and fry of other fish.
Worms.
Plankton.
Dry fish feed.
Golyankas themselves are part of the diet of larger predatory fish.

Golyanka spawns in its second year of life, laying eggs among stones, gravel, and in lakes on coastal vegetation, invariably near the mouths of streams.

This fish can be caught at any time of the year using animal and plant baits. Golyanka is a good bait for catching any predatory fish, especially trout. The meat of golyanka is edible. It makes a decent fish soup, is good when fried, but is best when smoked.

Fish