Aukšlė (Alburnus alburnus) is a small, silvery fish of the carp family (Cyprinidae), common in freshwater European waters. Its body is elongated and thin, its sides are flat, covered with very thin, easily falling silvery scales. The back is usually gray-blue or greenish, and the belly and sides are a shining silvery-white color. This fish has large eyes and a small mouth facing upwards - this structure helps it to collect food from the water surface. The carp usually grows to about 7–13 cm in length and weighs 6–30 g. However, larger individuals occur - in rare cases, the carp can reach ~20 cm in length and about 40 g in weight. These fish mature early, around the second or third year of life, and live relatively short. Their lifespan is usually ~4–6 years, but in exceptional cases it can survive up to 9 years.

Where does the elder live?

The bream is widespread in most freshwater bodies of Europe and Western Asia. In Lithuania, it is one of the most common fish - it is found in rivers, streams, lakes and even ponds. This species can live in various water bodies, but prefers slow-flowing or non-marshy waters. The bream avoids very fast-flowing mountain rivers and completely stagnant water environments. They usually swim in flocks in the surface layer of water, in open, well-lit areas. Under favorable conditions, huge flocks of bream are formed - for example, they can gather in large swarms at the mouths of rivers or on the edges of lagoons. This behavior is typical in spring and summer, when food is abundant.

Meanwhile, in winter, the bream retreat to calmer places – inlets, bays or deeper holes – where they gather in large schools and slow down their activity. The bream feels best in clean, oxygen-rich waters. It is an indicator fish – its abundance indicates good water quality. In terms of temperatures, the bream is tolerant: it lives in temperate climates, tolerates summer heat and endures winter cold. However, this fish does not tolerate a lack of oxygen and is unable to survive in silted, poorly oxygenated water bodies.

When does the eel spawn?

The spawning of the bream occurs in late spring or early summer. They usually spawn in May-June, when the water temperature reaches about 14-15 °C. The spawning fish choose shallow areas near the shores and lay their eggs there, among underwater grasses or on the bottom of pebbles and stones. After spawning, there is no care for the eggs - the eggs left behind develop independently within 1-3 weeks, and the fry, having hatched, begin to feed on the smallest plankton organisms.

What does a hawk eat?

The wrasses feed on small organisms of animal origin and are considered typical plankton-eating fish. The basis of their diet is zooplankton - small crustaceans, protozoa and other organisms floating in the water. The wrasses also catch various invertebrates: small worms, insect larvae, water beetles and mollusks. Actively swimming on the surface, they collect a lot of food from the very top of the water - they feed on insects and their larvae that have fallen to the water.

During the summer months, schools of these fish can often be seen resting on the surface of the water in the early morning or evening, catching small food. However, the wrasses are quite voracious and feed not only at dawn or dusk, but also during the day, if they can find food.

Fish are intermediate consumers in the food chain. Being predators themselves, they are also important prey for predators. Many predatory fish, such as perch, pike or scum, are happy to feed on eelpouts, especially when they form large groups. As a result, the eelpout population contributes to the balance of the ecosystem - they help regulate the abundance of plankton and at the same time become food for predators. In addition, not only fish feed on these fish, but also water birds (e.g., cormorants, herons) also catch eelpouts in shallows or near the water surface. Thus, eelpouts are an important part of the food chain, connecting tiny invertebrate organisms with larger aquatic predators.

Fishing for Aukšliai

The bream is a well-known fish in amateur fishing, which is caught all year round. Since this fish is small and very common, special fishing restrictions do not apply to it - it is allowed to catch it both in open waters in summer and under ice in winter. In the warm season, bream are actively caught during the day, especially in the morning and evening, when plankton accumulates on the surface of the water. Fishermen notice that on a sunny day these fish are on the surface, and when the weather cools down they can go deeper. However, they remain active even in winter - bream are successfully caught under ice in nets. The active reaction of bream to bait and their abundance determine that it is often the first fish caught by novice fishermen.

Fishing for bream is usually done with a float rod or in winter with a small jig (glitter) using very small hooks. Due to their preference for feeding on the surface, it is most effective to catch them in shallow areas or near the surface of the water. Dough, bread crumbs, mosquito larvae or small earthworms are often used as bait.

Due to its abundance, this fish has also become an object of sport fishing. There are competitions for catching bigeye trout in Lithuania. Such events show that even a small fish can provide a lot of excitement for fishermen.

Culinary properties of Aukšė

The bream is an edible fish, but it is not very popular due to its size. Its body contains many small spines, so eating this fish can be tricky. Traditionally, bream is prepared in Lithuania in a simple but delicious way. The most common way of preparing it is to clean the freshly caught fish, briefly marinate it in salt (optionally with spices, such as garlic), then roll it in flour and fry it in hot oil until nicely browned. Once it is crispy, the bream can be eaten almost whole - the small spines become easy to chew. In addition, dried bream is often used in Lithuania as a snack with beer - when dried, they become crispy and do not spoil for a long time.

Properly cured and prepared hake has an excellent taste - its meat is tender, and the browned skin gives it a pleasant crunch. In some European cuisines, hake is considered a delicacy: for example, in Scandinavia, hake caviar spread is appreciated, and in the Balkans (Macedonia) dried hake is used to make a traditional dish called cironka. However, due to their small size, dishes require a lot of fish, so hake is usually prepared at home, when a larger amount is caught.