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European Minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus)

European Minnow

Phoxinus phoxinus

Class
Ray-finned fish
Rarity
Common
Observations
774
Most observed in
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Conservation
Least Concern

Description

Phoxinus phoxinus (known colloquially as the Eurasian minnow, minnow, Channel minnow, or common minnow) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, which includes the daces, minnows and related fishes. It is the type species of genus Phoxinus. This taxon was formerly considered to be the only species in the genus Phoxinus found in Europe and to have a wide geographic range in Eurasia, however, it is now regarded as part of a species complex with new species being described across its former range and this species being restricted to Western Europe. It occurs predominantly in cool (12–20 °C (54–68 °F)) streams and well-oxygenated lakes and ponds. It is noted for being a gregarious species, shoaling in large numbers.

Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Phoxinus phoxinus”.

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