Kutum (fish)
Encyclopedia
The Kutum also known as "Kütüm" in Azerbaijani, "Caspian White Fish
", "Caspian Roach", "māhi sefid" ماهی سفید in Persian
, "Talaji" in Mazandarani
, and "sifid mahyi" in Gileki , is a medium sized fresh water
and brackish water
fish
native to the Caspian Sea
. It is typically a medium sized fish, reaching 45-55 cm in length, rarely 70 cm, and weighing up to 4.00 kg, rarely 5.00 kg. It used to be very common and was harvested commercially. The population seems to have collapsed due to over exploitation and marine pollution
. Its flesh and roe
is enjoyed as food, and highly prized in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces in Iran
.
Freshwater whitefish
The freshwater whitefish are fish of the subfamily Coregoninae in the salmon family Salmonidae. Along with the freshwater whitefish, the Salmonidae includes the freshwater and anadromous trout and salmon species as well as graylings...
", "Caspian Roach", "māhi sefid" ماهی سفید in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, "Talaji" in Mazandarani
Mazandarani
Mazandarani may refer to :* Mazandarani people, Mazandaranis, Tabarian people* Mazandarani language, A language spoken mainly in South Caspian region* Morteza Sadouqi Mazandarani, Iranian grand ayatollah...
, and "sifid mahyi" in Gileki , is a medium sized fresh water
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
and brackish water
Brackish water
Brackish water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers. The word comes from the Middle Dutch root "brak," meaning "salty"...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
native to the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. It is typically a medium sized fish, reaching 45-55 cm in length, rarely 70 cm, and weighing up to 4.00 kg, rarely 5.00 kg. It used to be very common and was harvested commercially. The population seems to have collapsed due to over exploitation and marine pollution
Marine pollution
Marine pollution occurs when harmful, or potentially harmful effects, can result from the entry into the ocean of chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, noise, or the spread of invasive organisms. Most sources of marine pollution are land based...
. Its flesh and roe
Roe
Roe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as shrimp, scallop and sea urchins...
is enjoyed as food, and highly prized in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
- Feeding: The main food items are mollusks, shrimps, amphipods and crabs. Larvae and fry feed on rotifers, minute forms of cladocerans, diatom algae, and larvae of Copepods.
- Populations: Three populations (one autumn and two spring populations) were found in the rivers of Iran (Rezavi, 1997); a riverine/ freshwater form exists in the South Caspian (Derzhavin, 1934).
- Distribution: Kutum is endemic to the Caspian SeaCaspian SeaThe Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. It is distributed from the mouth of the Volga River up to the Miankaleh peninsulaMiankaleh peninsulaMiyānkāle peninsula is a narrow but long peninsula in Māzandarān Province in the north of Iran situated in the extreme south-eastern part of the Caspian Sea. The long and narrow peninsula is 48 km long, and between 1300 and 3200 meters wide....
. Main aggregations are confined to the south-western part of the sea adjacent to the Anzali and Qizilchay bays. On the eastern coast, it occurs in the Atrak estuarine areas and in the IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian waters.
- Behavior: lives in small schools in deep water, but spawns in shallow water in the tributaries in April-May. The eggs are laid among weeds or over gravel, and hatch in about 10 days. Becomes sexually mature in 3-5 years. Resilience of this species is low. Minimum population doubling time is 4.5 - 14 years.