Vimba Bream

Identification

The vimba bream is a medium-sized cyprinid of 20 to 40 cm with a remarkably protrusible, fleshy upper lip. The body is elongated and laterally compressed. The back is dark grey-blue, the flanks silvery. During spawning, the male's snout turns blue-black — hence the Dutch name. The belly becomes yellow-orange.

Behavior & ecology

A migratory river fish that travels upstream to spawn on gravel banks in fast-flowing water. Feeds on bottom organisms: worms, midge larvae, crustaceans, and mollusks. Originally from the Danube basin, it spread westward through the canal network.

In the Netherlands

A relatively new arrival. Expanded westward from Eastern Europe via the Rhine and Maas, increasingly observed since the early 21st century. With 183 records, now a regular guest in the major rivers.