Abbottina river (Amur loach, Chinese loach) - Abbottina rivularis
A representative of the Chinese faunal complex. The Abbottina entered the water bodies of Kyrgyzstan, like many representatives of this fish complex, accidentally. In the early 1960s, this species was introduced to the pond farms of Chui region along with other fish and spread throughout all plain water bodies, penetrating into Lake Issyk-Kul.
The mouth of the Abbottina is small, lower, and crescent-shaped, with one very short whisker in each corner. The eyes are positioned high. Along the body, there are 6–8 brown spots. It closely resembles the loach. It is a small fish, reaching a length of 10 cm and a weight of 15 g.
It prefers the backwaters of rivers, lakes, and ponds. It lays eggs in a nest resembling a plate, with a diameter of up to 25 cm and a depth of up to 5 cm. The nests are located in the shallow (10–40 cm) coastal areas of bays in lakes, reservoirs, ponds, and in slow-moving channels. The eggs are densely covered with sand. The male actively guards and aerates the nest.
The Abbottina is a weed fish, competing for food with other fish. Having entered the ponds and other water bodies of Kyrgyzstan, it has displaced small indigenous species.
Fish
