1 84 BRITISH FRESHWATER FISHES 



The scales are quite small, numbering 99 to 120 

 in the lateral line. The dorsal and anal fins are 

 rounded ; the former originates above the base of 

 the pelvics and has eight or nine branched rays, 

 whilst the latter has from six to eight ; the caudal 

 fin is slightly emarginate, with rounded lobes. The 

 coloration varies from greenish yellow to greenish 

 black ; sometimes a golden variety may be met with. 



The Tench is found all over Europe and in Asia 

 Minor and Western Siberia ; it is generally distri- 

 buted in the British Islands as far north as Loch 

 Lomond, and is also found in the Tay and Dee 

 systems, where it is probably not indigenous. 



As a rule, the Tench does not exceed 8 lbs. in 

 weight, but Yarrell mentions one of 1 1 lbs. 9 oz., 

 and still larger examples have been recorded from 

 continental localities ; a specimen a foot long is 

 figured (PI. XXV, Fig. 2). 



This is pre-eminently an inhabitant of still waters, 

 but occurs also in slow-flowing rivers ; it thrives in 

 small weedy ponds with muddy bottom, in reservoirs, 

 or even in clay-pits. It is a quiet and indolent fish, 

 in the summer lying at the bottom, or sometimes, 

 on calm, hot days, at the surface amongst the weeds, 

 whilst it passes the winter buried in the mud in a 

 sort of torpor. Siebold relates that some Tench 

 which had thus buried themselves were dredged up 

 and placed on the bank ; they showed no signs of 

 life, and after some time were awakened by several 

 blows with a stick, when they regained the pond by 

 a series of jumps. In the spring, when they emerge 

 from their winter sleep, the Tench are lean, but they 

 rapidly fatten on a mixed diet of mud, weeds, 

 worms, insects, and little shellfish. 



