THE RUDD - Scardinius erythrophthalmus
The Rudd is easy to confuse with its close relative the roach.The difference being that the rudd can be recognised by its golden sides, were as the roach is silver. The rudd has a protruding lower lip as for the upper protruding lip of the roach. But the rudd and roach will inter breed quite happily, thus creating a hybrid.
These hybridised fish can be recognised though difficult by the often equal length of the lips, but this is not that important unless verification is needed for a rudd or roach record. Another identifying mark is that the beginning of the rudds dorsal fin is set well behind the front of the pelvic fins.
The rudd is mainly a still water fish,with few populations thriving in flowing water.It likes a habitat with plenty of reeds, over hanging trees and bushes,were it can feed off fallen insects as it is well suited for surface and mid-water feeding. The diet consists of insects, larvae, crustaceans and some vegetable mater.
The rudd spawn in may and June, and the female will lay anything up to 200,000 tiny clear yellowish eggs, which they lay on reed stems and weed. These then hatch out about seven days later depending on water temperature. Once hatched they feed on plankton in shoals, in the shallow waters away from the mouths of predators. Then as they grow they will move out to deeper waters and feed on the same foods as the adult fish. The rudd is slow growing and reaches maturity at about four years of age, and a specimen size is 2lb and a fish of a life time.
