Dace (Leuciscus leuciscus)

General data

Main name: Dace
Climates: Temperate, Continental
Habitat: Freshwater
Native: Europe, Asia
Distribution: Ural, Don, Rhine, Dnieper, Lake Baikal, River Severn, View all... River Thames, River Wye, Daugava (Western Dvina), Mezen, Northern Dvina, Neman (Nemunas), Lielupe, Venta, Gauja, Trent, Great Ouse, River Eden (Cumbria), River Ribble, River Tyne, River Tees, River Taff, River Ely, River Parrett

Classification

Description

The common dace (Leuciscus leuciscus) is a species of freshwater and brackish water ray-finned fish from the family Cyprinidae which is native to Europe and west Asia, but which has been introduced to other parts of the world. It is a quarry species for coarse anglers. The common dace differs from other members in the genus Leuciscus found in Europe by its inferior mouth, slightly longer upper jaw which has the tip of the upper lip level with the centre line of the eye and the lack of an obvious snout. It has a yellowish iris and a body which is covered in large silvery scales, the lateral line having 49–52 scales. The anal fin has a concave margin and the caudal fin is forked. The dorsal fin has 2–3 spines and 7–9 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8–9 soft rays. The maximum size attained is a total length of 30 centimetres (12 in). The common dace is native to Europe and northern Asia where its occurs in the basins of the North Sea, Baltic Sea, White Sea and Barents Sea. It also occurs in the basin of the Caspian Sea in the drainage systems of the Volga and Ural Rivers and in the Black Sea basin it is found in the Danube and the Dnieper. In France it occurs in the Seine River drainage and in the drainages of the Rhone and Arc which flow into the Mediterranean. In the Danube main river of Romania as well as in Scandinavia north of 69°N and most of central Finland this species has a localised distribution. The populations from Siberia and East Asia are normally assigned to Leuciscus baicalensis and Leuciscus dzungaricus. This species has been widely introduced in areas of Europe where it did not previously occur. For example, it has become established in Ireland since the early 1900s, having been taken there as a bait fish to catch larger fish such as pike. Following its introduction in Ireland, it has benefited from parasite release, meaning that with its introduction it has lost its normal set of parasites and might thus have a competitive advantage over native species. The common dace is found in rivers and streams, sometime occurring in lakes or in the brackish water at the mouths of rivers. It is a surface dwelling fish which gather in shoals of adults in the lower reaches of rivers and backwaters during the winter. Some adults remain upstream in the spawning grounds all winter as well. At spawning time, in March and April, they migrate up stream to lay their pale yellow eggs on shallow gravel beds in fast flowing streams, the eggs attach to gravel and stones. The juveniles hide among the cavities and roots in the bankside vegetation and as they mature they move into faster flowing water. The main food for common dace is small invertebrates. The common dace is fished for by coarse anglers and the British rod caught record is 1.32 pounds (.599 kg).

Catches

Taxonomy of Fishes

Osteichthyes - Bony fishes->
- Coelacanthi - Lobe-finned fishes->
- Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes->
  - Perciformes - Perches->
  - Cypriniformes - Carps->
    
    Cyprinidae - Carps->
    
    Gobionidae - Gudgeons->
    
    Tincidae - Tench->
    
    Cobitidae - True loaches->
    
    Acheilognathidae - Bitterling-like cyprinids->
    
    Leuciscidae - Chub family->
    
    Squalius - Chubs->
    
    Abramis - Breams->
    
    Ballerus - Blue Breams->
    
    Blicca - Silver Breams->
    
    Vimba - Vimbas->
    
    Chondrostoma - Nases->
    
    Alburnoides - Riffle minnows->
    
    Alburnus - Bleaks->
    
    Phoxinus - Eurasian minnows->
    
    Leucaspius - Moderlieschens->
    
    Leuciscus - Eurasian daces->
    
    Dace (Leuciscus leuciscus)
    
    Ide (Leuciscus idus)
    
    Asp (Leuciscus aspius)
    
    Beaked dace (Leuciscus burdigalensis)
    
    Bearn beaked dace (Leuciscus bearnensis)
    
    Siberian dace (Leuciscus baicalensis)
    
    Issyk-Kul dace (Leuciscus bergi)
    
    Leuciscus chuanchicus (Leuciscus chuanchicus)
    
    Danilevskii’s dace (Leuciscus danilewskii)
    
    Leuciscus dzungaricus (Leuciscus dzungaricus)
    
    Leuciscus gaderanus (Leuciscus gaderanus)
    
    Leuciscus latus (Leuciscus latus)
    
    Zeravshan dace (Leuciscus lehmanni)
    
    Leuciscus lindbergi (Leuciscus lindbergi)
    
    Leuciscus merzbacheri (Leuciscus merzbacheri)
    
    Long-snout dace (Leuciscus oxyrrhis)
    
    Schmidt’s dace (Leuciscus schmidti)
    
    Tigris asp (Leuciscus vorax)
    
    Amur ide (Leuciscus waleckii)
    
    Telestes - Souffies->
    
    Pelecus - Sabrefishes->
    
    Rutilus - Roaches->
    
    Scardinius - Rudds->
    
    Pachychilon - Macedonian Roaches->
    
    Pelasgus - Greek minnow->
    
    Achondrostoma - Achondrostoma->
    
    Ptychocheilus - Pikeminnows->
    
    Pseudaspius - Amur asp->
    
    Pseudochondrostoma - Pseudo nase->
    
    Gila - Gila chub->
    
    Luxilus - Luxilus->
    
    Semotilus - Creek chubs->
    
    Notemigonus - Golden shiners->
    
    Siphateles - Siphateles->
    
    Richardsonius - Redside shiners->
    
    Orthodon - Orthodon->
    
    Campostoma - Stonerollers->
    
    Nocomis - North American chubs->
    
    Leucos - Adriatic roaches->
    
    Sarmarutilus - Sarmarutilus->
    
    Delminichthys - Karst minnows->
    
    Phoxinellus - Adriatic naked minnows->
    
    Parachondrostoma - South-west European nase->
    
    Iberochondrostoma - Iberian nase->
    
    Petroleuciscus - Ponto-Caspian chubs->
    
    Pimephales - Bluntnose minnows->
    
    Rhinichthys - Riffle daces->
    
    Cyprinella - Satinfin shiners->
    
    Macrhybopsis - Blacktail chubs->
    
    Platygobio - Platygobio->
    
    Chrosomus - Redbelly dace->
    
    Notropis - Eastern shiners->
    
    Erimystax - Slender chubs->
    
    Clinostomus - Redside daces->
    
    Couesius - Couesius->
    
    Mylocheilus - Mylocheilus->
    
    Acrocheilus - Acrocheilus->
    
    Acanthobrama - Acanthobrama->
    
    Agosia - Agosia->
    
    Algansea - Algansea->
    
    Anaecypris - Anaecypris->
    
    Aspiolucius - Aspiolucius->
    
    Aztecula - Aztecula->
    
    Capoetobrama - Capoetobrama->
    
    Hemitremia - Hemitremia->
    
    Codoma - Codoma->
    
    Dionda - Desert Minnows->
    
    Eremichthys - Eremichthys->
    
    Ericymba - Ericymba->
    
    Evarra - Evarra->
    
    Exoglossum - Exoglossum->
    
    Hesperoleucus - Hesperoleucus->
    
    Hybognathus - Hybognathus->
    
    Hybopsis - Hybopsis->
    
    Iberocypris - Iberocypris->
    
    Iotichthys - Iotichthys->
    
    Ladigesocypris - Ladigesocypris->
    
    Lavinia - Lavinia->
    
    Lepidomeda - Lepidomeda->
    
    Leucalburnus - Leucalburnus->
    
    Lythrurus - Lythrurus->
    
    Margariscus - Margariscus->
    
    Meda - Meda->
    
    Mirogrex - Mirogrex->
    
    Moapa - Moapa->
    
    Mylopharodon - Mylopharodon->
    
    Opsopoeodus - Opsopoeodus->
    
    Oregonichthys - Oregonichthys->
    
    Oreoleuciscus - Oreoleuciscus->
    
    Pararhinichthys - Pararhinichthys->
    
    Phenacobius - Phenacobius->
    
    Plagopterus - Plagopterus->
    
    Pogonichthys - Pogonichthys->
    
    Protochondrostoma - Protochondrostoma->
    
    Pseudophoxinus - Pseudophoxinus->
    
    Pteronotropis - Pteronotropis->
    
    Relictus - Relictus->
    
    Rhynchocypris - Rhynchocypris->
    
    Tampichthys - Tampichthys->
    
    Stypodon - Stypodon->
    
    Tropidophoxinellus - Tropidophoxinellus->
    
    Yuriria - Yuriria->
    
    Paranotropis - Paranotropis->
    
    Miniellus - Miniellus->
    
    Nemacheilidae - Stone loaches->
    
    Xenocyprididae - East Asian minnows->
    
    Catostomidae - Suckers->
    
    Leptobarbidae - Cigar barbs->
    
    Balitoridae - River loaches->
    
    Barbuccidae - Fire-eyed loaches->
    
    Botiidae - Pointface loaches->
    
    Danionidae - Danios->
    
    Ellopostomatidae - Square-head loaches->
    
    Gastromyzontidae - Hillstream loaches->
    
    Gyrinocheilidae - Algae eaters->
    
    Paedocyprididae - Tiny carps->
    
    Psilorhynchidae - Mountain carps->
    
    Serpenticobitidae - Snake loaches->
    
    Sundadanionidae - Tiny danios->
    
    Tanichthyidae - Mountain minnows->
    
    Vaillantellidae - Longfin loaches->
  - Esociformes - Pikes->
  - Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts->
  - Siluriformes - Catfishes->
  - Scorpaeniformes - Mail-cheeked fishes->
  - Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks->
  - Gadiformes - Cods->
  - Anguilliformes - Eels and morays->
  - Clupeiformes - Herrings->
  - Syngnathiformes - Pipefishes and Seahorses->
  - Gobiiformes - Gobies->
  - Mugiliformes - Mullets->
  - Carangiformes - Jacks->
  - Beloniformes - Needlefishes->
  - Labriformes - Wrasses->
  - Scombriformes - Mackerels->
  - Mulliformes - Goatfishes->
  - Pleuronectiformes - Flatfishes->
  - Aulopiformes - Grinners->
  - Blenniiformes - Blennies->
  - Cyprinodontiformes - Toothcarps->
  - Osmeriformes - Smelts->
  - Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes->
  - Cichliformes - Cichlids->
  - Characiformes - Characins->
  - Osteoglossiformes - Bony tongues->
  - Elopiformes - Tarpons and tenpounders->
  - Anabantiformes - Gouramies and snakeheads->
  - Gymnotiformes - South American knifefish->
  - Istiophoriformes - Barracudas->
  - Albuliformes - Bonefishes->
  - Lepidogalaxiiformes - Salamanderfishes->
  - Lophiiformes - Anglerfishes->
  - Spariformes - Breams and porgies->
  - Trachiniformes - Weeverfishes->
  - Moroniformes - Temperate basses->
  - Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes->
  - Zeiformes - Dories->
  - Tetraodontiformes - Puffers and filefishes->
  - Holocentriformes - Squirrelfishes->
  - Dactylopteriformes - Flying gurnards->
  - Lampriformes - Lamprids->
  - Galaxiiformes - Southern smelts->
  - Batrachoidiformes - Toadfishes->
  - Hiodontiformes - Mooneyes->
  - Percopsiformes - Trout-perches->
  - Callionymiformes - Dragonets->
  - Atheriniformes - Silversides->
  - Notacanthiformes - Spiny eels->
  - Saccopharyngiformes - Swallowers and Gulpers->
  - Alepocephaliformes - Slickheads and tubeshoulders->
  - Gonorynchiformes - Milkfishes->
  - Argentiniformes - Marine smelts->
  - Stomiiformes - Lightfishes and dragonfishes->
  - Ateleopodiformes - Jellynose fishes->
  - Myctophiformes - Lanternfishes->
  - Stylephoriformes - Tube-eyes->
  - Polymixiiformes - Beardfishes->
  - Beryciformes - Sawbellies->
  - Trachichthyiformes - Rughies->
  - Ophidiiformes - Cusk-eels->
  - Kurtiformes - Nurseryfishes & Cardinalfishes->
  - Synbranchiformes - Swamp eels->
  - Gobiesociformes - Clingfishes->
  - Acropomatiformes - Oceanic basses->
- Cladistii - Bichirs->
- Dipneusti - Lungfishes->
- Chondrostei - Sturgeons->
- Holostei - Gars and Bowfins->
Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes->
Agnatha - Jawless fishes->