Easily confused fish

Prussian carp · Crucian carp

It matters legally: the crucian carp is protected.

• Crucian carp: a higher, rounded back, golden-bronze colour, a black spot at the base of the tail in young fish, the edge of the dorsal fin curving outwards.
• Prussian carp: silvery, a less deep body, the edge of the dorsal fin straight or slightly concave.

⚠ If you're not sure, release it.

Carp · Prussian carp

The barbels.

• The carp has 4 barbels (two small and two larger) at the corners of its mouth.
• Prussian carp and crucian carp have no barbels.

Bream · Silver bream · Blue bream

The fins and the eye.

• Bream: dark, long fins, a lot of slime, small scales.
• Silver bream: paired fins reddish at the base, a large eye, larger scales.
• Blue bream: a larger eye than the bream and a very long anal fin.

Zander · Perch

The stripes and the teeth.

• Perch: clear vertical stripes, red pelvic and anal fins, a black spot at the end of the first dorsal fin.
• Zander: an elongated, greenish-grey body, without clear stripes, spotted dorsal fins, large canine teeth.

Zander · Volga zander

Size and stripes.

• The Volga zander is smaller, with clearer dark vertical bars.
• The common zander is larger, greenish, with large canines.

Rudd · Roach

The mouth and the eye.

• Rudd: an upturned mouth, all fins red.
• Roach: a terminal mouth, a red spot in the eye.

Chub · Asp · Ide

The mouth and the body.

• Chub: a broad head, a large mouth, a cylindrical body, a convex anal fin edge.
• Asp: a very wide mouth, split back to below the eye, a more elongated body.
• Ide: a deeper body, a smaller mouth, reddish fins.

Brown trout (native mountain trout) · Rainbow trout · Brook trout

The spots.

• Brown trout: red spots with a pale halo, no pink band.
• Rainbow trout: a pink band along the flank, small black spots, including on the tail.
• Brook trout: vermiculations (worm-like markings) on the back and white edges on the lower fins.

Silver carp · Bighead carp

The head and the colour.

• Bighead carp: a very large head, a darker body with irregular blotches.
• Silver carp: lighter in colour, silvery, a smaller head.

Wels catfish · Brown bullhead (American catfish)

The barbels and the adipose fin.

• Wels catfish: 6 barbels (2 long on top, 4 short below), no adipose fin, grows very large.
• Brown bullhead: 8 barbels, has an adipose fin (a small fleshy fin on the back, towards the tail), rarely over 30 cm.

⚠ The brown bullhead is invasive: don't release it.

Zingel · Streber (small zingel)

Both are protected.

• Zingel streber: smaller, with 4-5 clear oblique bars.
• Zingel zingel: larger, with irregular blotches.

⚠ Both are released, all year round.

Perch · Ruffe

The dorsal fin.

• Perch: two separate dorsal fins, vertical stripes, red fins.
• Ruffe: a single long dorsal fin, a finely spotted body, no red.

Bleak · Spirlin

The lateral line.

• Spirlin: a double lateral line dotted with black.
• Bleak: no dotted line, uniformly silvery.