Species · GBIF taxon 2362925
Bleak
Alburnus alburnusAlso known as Common Bleak, Eurasian Bleak
Bleaks form vast, glittering shoals near the surface of calm rivers, lakes, and canals across Europe and Western Asia. Their intensely silver scales produce a pearlescent guanine extract historically known as essence d'orient, once harvested to coat artificial pearls. These agile surface-feeders spend warm afternoons snapping at midges and mayflies that land on the water's surface.
ShoalingFreshwaterSurface Feeder
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Mayflies
- Midges
- Zooplankton
Predators
- Northern Pike
- Eurasian Perch
- Grey Heron
ThreatsWater pollution, dam construction, and invasive predatory fish
HabitatsSlow-flowing rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and canals
Life span5–9 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderCypriniformes
- FamilyCyprinidae
- GenusAlburnus
- SpeciesAlburnus alburnus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Observing shoals: Look for silver flashes just beneath the surface near bridges or shaded riverbanks on calm summer afternoons.
- Angling etiquette: Handle carefully with wet hands and return quickly to the water if caught on light fly or coarse tackle.
Co-Occurring Cyprinid Alexander Suvorov / Public domain · cc0
Predator (c) Patrick Jackson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Patrick Jackson · cc-by
Frequent Companion Scardinius_erythropthalmus1_resize.jpg: Original uploader was Algirdas at lt.wikipedia derivative work: George Chernilevsky talk / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Julien Renoult, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Julien Renoult · cc-by
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