Italian roach

Description

The Italian roach, called triotto in Italy, is a slender cyprinid of the family Cyprinidae reaching about 26 cm. It closely resembles the common roach, with a silvery-grey body, often a dark lengthwise stripe along the flank and orange-red fins. The species is endemic to the fresh water of northern and central Italy and adjacent Adriatic drainages, where it lives in schools in slow to moderately flowing rivers, lakes and canals. As an omnivore it eats insect larvae, small crustaceans, worms and plant material. In spring it spawns in shallow, vegetated water, where the eggs stick to water plants and stones. Locally it is a common fish, though it is under pressure from water pollution and introduced exotics.