Shamaika is a fish called "royal"

Shmaya (shamayka) is a fish that belongs to carp. This species is common in the basins of the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas. It does not grow to large sizes. For example, a representative of the "black seas" weighs on average about 180-270 g, while there are also instances of large sizes that reach 650 g. But the Caspian fish shameika, the photo of which is presented in this article, grows to 240 g, but very rarely There are also kilogram fishes.

Reproduction

This fish takes its name from the Persian "shah-mai", the phrase is translated so - "royal fish". Its procurement price is not without reason is the largest in comparison with the rest of the fish of the Azov Sea, it was able to bypass even sturgeon. Every year this very valuable fish is caught less and less, which is due to the deterioration of the conditions of its reproduction (hence, catching it, release it). Shamayka is a fish that has a lot in common with the famous fish, while its mouth is finite, and the body is more elongated.

In different regions of Russia spawning of Shemai takes place at different times: in the autumn in the Kuban, in the early spring or winter on the Don, in the Kura, the Caspian shmoy enters the winter, with the Terek only in December. It spawns on rivers with rolling and fast currents, a stony bottom, which occurs at night or at dusk. Her eggs are very small.

Structure of the Shemai

Fish shamayka is well known for many of the taste and tenderness of its meat. Without a drop of doubt, it is one of the most valuable carp fish, in Persia it is called "Tsarist".

It is of the same genus with a bleak, but it is much larger than the first. Often it reaches a length of 30 cm with a weight of 800 grams. The fish has a small scales and an elongated trunk. An anterior fin is located behind her dorsal. In addition, her lower jaw is thickened at the apex, and before the upper jaw it protrudes. The head and back of the fish are dark with a soft blue tint, while the sides with the belly are silvery white; Fins slightly grayish, dorsal and caudal - with a thin blackish border, silver eyes have a black dot in the upper half.

Habitat

Fish shameika (photo it can be seen in this article) is found exclusively in the rivers that belong to the basin of the Azov, Black and Caspian Seas, while it does not enter into each of them and does not rise high. In addition, very recently the fish was discovered in large numbers in the Aral Sea. Most of all it lives in the Azov and Caspian seas, where it adheres to the southern shores. So, it leaves the Sea of Azov only in the Kuban, while in the Don it is extremely rare.

Shamayka is a fish that mostly lives in the Caspian Sea near the mouths of the Terek, Kura and Persian rivers. In the Black Sea, it is not so common, it still comes from here to the Dniester, the Bug and the Dnieper. In the rest of Europe it is found only in the Danube, where it belongs to the rarest species of fish, although it is common in some Bavarian lakes.

Lifestyle

Her way of life is almost completely unknown. In our country, it lives almost always in the sea, although it only enters the rivers to spawn. Shamayka (fish), who lives in Bavaria, prefers pure and cold water with a bottom of stones. She loves a fairly fast current, so she does not go into the Volga, and rarely can be found in the Dnieper, while in Kura, Kuban, Terek and Persian faster rivers, shmaya lives in large quantities.

Food

Fish shamayka eats plankton, worms, larvae and insects, crustaceans. The fish reaches sexual maturity by the two years of its life. Shmaya spawns in warm water. At the same time, spawning occurs mainly at night. It spawns eggs on ruts with fast enough flow, mainly in places with a pebble (rocky) bottom, and after the process goes to sea.

After 3-4 days of larvae appear larvae. Molody remains about a year in spawning rivers, as it develops long. Trifle goes into the sea weighing only about one gram, where it begins to grow much faster. It mainly feeds on small crustaceans, insect larvae, young, phytoplankton.

Catching Shamayi

It is interesting that this valuable fish is caught by sports gear exclusively in the west of the Caspian Sea, while using mainly bottom fishing rods. To facilitate the dicing, and also to make long casts, amateur anglers use spinning rods when the shamai (fish) starts to spawn. The Red Book at the same time includes this species in the list of disappearing.

The line is used 0.4 mm thick, sometimes thicker, since a fairly heavy load weighing about 100 grams is used for fishing. It is tied on the tip of the line, after which 2-3 leashes of a total length of about 40 cm and with a line diameter of up to 0.25 mm are mounted on it. In the Caspian Sea, as a bait, they mostly use shrimp. The best biting occurs at the beginning of spring, when the shmoe is approaching the shores. At the same time it is worth recalling that fishing for this fish is prohibited.