Fish guide
WildID Fish guide covers all the freshwater fishes of ponds, streams and rivers in Britain and Ireland.
- Identification guide to all the freshwater fishes of ponds, streams and rivers in Britain and Ireland.
- Colour illustrations arranged so that similar looking species are grouped together
- Practical for use outdoors: lightweight, rucksack-sized, splash-proof
The streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and canals of Britain and Ireland are home to around 50 species of freshwater fish. Additional species occur in the lower reaches of estuaries. Most freshwater fish in the region live and breed within a single type of habitat, but some are migratory, spending part of their life cycle in the sea.
Of these species, 14 are introductions. Most were introduced relatively recently: some escaped from captivity, while others were deliberately released for ornamental purposes, food, or angling. One native species became extinct in the late 20th century.
This guide groups freshwater fish into several easily recognized categories. First are the silver fish, such as roach, rudd, chub, bleak, and dace. Next are species with an adipose fin, including salmon, trout, charr, and grayling. A third group includes fish with complex fins, like sticklebacks, perch and zander. A fourth group, those with barbels, includes tench, gudgeon, and carp. Fifth are the long, snake-like species, such as eels, lampreys, and wels. Finally, a miscellaneous group includes species that don’t quite fit elsewhere, like pike, minnow, and goldfish.
You can identify many of these fishes without catching them, often just by observing from above the water.
