Rutilus rutilus is the roach or rutilus roach which belongs to the family Cyprinidae; the fishes with the name roach belong to two different genus depending upon their location, namely,Rutilus andHesperoleucus.

Roach fish is also known as common roach and is a shoaling fish.

General Characteristics of Roach Fish:

Body Shape and Body Color:

The body of a roach fish is deep. The young roach has slender bodies, while the adult roach has broad and deeper bodies.

The body of the roach is silver bluish with white bellies. The fins are orange-red.

Body Size and Body Weight:

Roach is a small fish and is only 50cm in length, while the average weight is only 2 kg.

Scales and Spines:

The body of a roach is covered with conspicuous large scales. 39–48 scales are present along the lateral line.

9-11 spines are present along with the dorsal and anal fins.

Mouth:

The mouth of the fish is without any barbels or teeth.

Eyes:

Roach fish have red or purple eyes with red pupils; different environmental factors may control the eye color.

Fins:

The roach has a dorsal fin that is in line with the pelvic fins, and this is one of the distinguishing features of roach fish from rudd.

Habitat and Distribution of Roach Fish:

Common roach is a schooling fish and prefers the slow-moving streams, rivers, lakes, brackish waters. Roach can tolerate temperatures up to 30°C, and most inhabited habitats by roach fish have a temperature of 4°C. 

It is native to Asia and Europe; in North America, the roach is referred to as rudd, several members of the sunfish, both cyprinids and golden shiner. Common roach is introduced to England, Ireland, Windermere, and Tuscany in Italy.

Diet of Roach Fish:

Roach fish are omnivores and are backside feeders as their upper lip is hanging on the lower lip and face is downwards. They feed on,

• Zooplankton
• Zoobenthos
• Detritus
• Epiphytes
• Phytoplankton
• Macrophages
• Insects
• Seeds
• Small animals

Reproduction Cycle of Roach Fish:

Rising temperatures of water trigger spawning and March to June are peak spawning months. For successful reproduction, the pH of temperature must be higher than 5.5. Females produce around 100,000 eggs, and males fertilize the eggs. The average lifespan of a roach is 15 years. The reproduction cycle is very complex.

Predators of Roach Fish:

Gray herons, chub, pike, eel, zander, and fish-eating birds eat roach fish. 

Edible Roach:

Roach is edible, and the meat is rich with 

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B2
• Omega 3 fatty acids
• Vitamin D
• Minerals (Zinc, Calcium, Iodine, Magnesium, etc.)

Roach Fish Fishing:

Roach fish is fished for eating as well as used as bait to catch other large fishes. The best method of catching roaches is the feeding method, spice them up, and your bait must be fresh, and hemp is necessary.

You can catch a big roach; all you need is the proper tackle,

• Small Hooks
• A Fine Line
• Pinkies and Squats, Hemp, Casters, Bread punch as Baits