Yuri Gorbenko, one of the fishermen, shared that when they pulled the fish onto the shore, they initially thought it was a large roach. However, they later noticed that it was a completely different species: the green-colored scales and the whiskers near its mouth, like those of a carp, surprised them.
Alexander Sosnovsky, an ecologist, explained that the caught fish is a chub, belonging to the carp family. This species is widespread in the major rivers of Eurasia, from Yakutia to Europe, except for its southern part. The chub is also acclimatized in North America, where its population is growing. "The chub prefers rivers with moderate depth and slow currents. It cannot be found in the mountain rivers of Kyrgyzstan, as it does not like cold and fast waters. In winter, this fish actively feeds and does not hibernate, with its diet including plants, insects, worms, crustaceans, and fish fry. How did the chub end up in the Big Chui Canal? It likely came here from fish farms where carp are bred.
Chub fry were probably brought in from Kazakhstan, where this species is found. After the fish grew in the local waters, they somehow ended up in the Big Chui Canal. Externally, the chub does resemble a large roach. In spring, the chub's scales have a golden hue, while in summer they turn silver. It can reach lengths of up to 50 centimeters and weights of 2-3 kilograms, although individuals weighing up to 6-8 kilograms are sometimes caught. Typically, during sport fishing, chubs measuring between 20 and 40 centimeters and weighing from 400 grams to 1 kilogram are caught," Sosnovsky added.
