mud loach

Misgurnus fossilis

Barbels sensing muddy bottom

Temperate
Transcontinental
Europe
Elongated
Medium
Temperate fish

The weatherfish (Misgurnus fossilis) is a species of true loach that has a wide range in Europe and some parts of Asia. It is an omnivorous scavenger bottom feeder, using its sensitive barbels to find edible items. The diet mostly consists of small aquatic invertebrates along with some detritus.

Class: Teleosts
Order: Minnows, Carps, and Loaches
Family: Cobitidae
Genus: Misgurnus
Maximum length: 30 cm
Body shape: elongated
Distribution: Europe and Asia: In Europe, north of the Alps, from Meuse eastward to Neva drainages and Lake Ladoga; northern Black Sea basin from Danube eastward to Kuban, absent on the southern section; Caspian basin in Volga and Ural drainages. Not native to Great Britain, Scandinavia, Apennine and Iberian peninsulas, Crimea, and Adriatic, Aegean and White Sea basins. Locally introduced in Rhône drainage (France) and perhaps elsewhere (Ref. 59043 ).
Conservation status: LCLeast Concern

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