It’s not always easy to spot and identify fish from the river bank so if you’re not a regular angler of the Don you’d be forgiven for not knowing your ruffe from a roach. Here’s a list of the 26 native fish you would expect to find in the Don Catchment’s river systems. Click the picture to find out more about these fish.
Scroll down to see which fish are now missing from our catchment.
Scientific Name: Gymnocephalus cernua
Scientific Family: Percidae
Scientific Name: Perca fluviatilis
Scientific Family: Percidae
Scientific Name: Cottus gobio
Scientific Family: Cottidae
Scientific Name: Abramis brama
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Gobio gobio
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Alburnus alburnus
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Scardinius erythrophthalmus
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Phoxinus phoxinus
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Cyprinus carpio
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Leuciscus leuciscus
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Barbus barbus
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Squalius cephalus
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Rutilus rutilus
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Tinca tinca
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Blicca bjoerkna
Scientific Family: Cyprinidae
Scientific Name: Salmo trutta
Scientific Family: Salmonidae
Scientific Name: Salmo salar
Scientific Family: Salmonidae
Scientific Name: Thymallus thymallus
Scientific Family: Salmonidae
Scientific Name: Platichthys flesus
Scientific Family: Pleuronectidae
Scientific Name: Osmerus eperlanus
Scientific Family: Osmeridae
Scientific Name: Esox lucius
Scientific Family: Esocidae
Scientific Name: Lampetra planeri
Scientific Family: Petromyzontidae
Scientific Name: Petromyzon marinus
Scientific Family: Petromyzontidae
Scientific Name: Anguilla anguilla
Scientific Family: Anguillidae
Scientific Name: Gasterosteus aculeatus
Scientific Family: Gasterosteidae
Scientific Name: Pungitius pungitius
Scientific Family: Gasterosteidae
Although many of the original native species of fish have returned to the Don’s river system since it’s regeration, there are still a number of fish that have been unable to return. They may have been lost due to habitat loss/unsuitability, over fishing and pollution/water quality. Many of these species are now being extinct to britian therefore unable to recolonise unless they were reintroduced.
Scientific Name: Lota lota
Scientific Family: Lotidae
Scientific Name: Acipenser sturio
Scientific Family: Acipenseridae
Scientific Name: Lampetra fluviatilis
Scientific Family: Petromyzontidae
Scientific Name: Cobitis taenia
Scientific Family: Cobitidae
