Eurasian Minnow

Identification

The minnow is a small, slender fish of 5 to 10 cm with relatively small scales for a cyprinid. The back is olive green to brown with dark crossbars. The flanks are silvery with a golden-green sheen. During spawning season, males undergo a spectacular color change: the belly turns bright red, the throat black, and the fins develop white edges — one of the most colorful displays among Dutch fish.

Behavior & ecology

Lives in schools in cool, fast-flowing streams with clean, oxygen-rich water and gravel or sand substrate. An excellent water quality indicator. It feeds on small insects, algae, and plankton. Minnows are important prey for trout and other stream predators.

In the Netherlands

Occurs exclusively in fast-flowing streams in southern Limburg — the Geul, Gulp, and Selzerbeek. With 267 records, the population is well documented. The species has benefited from improved water quality.