Whitefin Gudgeon

Identification

Kessler's gudgeon is a small, slender bottom-dwelling fish of 8 to 12 cm. The body is elongated with a flattened underside. Color is light brown to sand-colored with a row of dark spots along the lateral line. Characteristic are the two barbels at the mouth corners and the white to transparent fins.

Behavior & ecology

Lives on sandy to gravel-rich bottoms of rivers and large streams. Forages for small insect larvae, worms, and crustaceans using its barbels as sensors. Active mainly at dusk.

In the Netherlands

First identified in the Netherlands in 2007 — not because it was new, but because it was previously confused with the common gudgeon. With 334 records (all from 2007 onwards), now well documented in the Maas, Waal, Rhine, and their tributaries.