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Many years ago, this species could be caught in many bodies of water across Russia. It was particularly popular in the country's European territories. Today, interest in the common nasuda has significantly diminished. Its pure flesh, unfortunately, lacks any particular flavor, and many fishermen simply release the fish after catching them.
This member of the carp family does not inhabit western Russia, where the Putorana Plateau Nature Reserve is located. However, it is home to large numbers of salmon, with their red caviar and delicious, delicacy-like meat.
What does the individual look like?
A relative of crucian carp and carp, it can grow up to half a meter and weigh over 1 kg. However, more often, the hooked fish are 30 cm long and weigh 0.5 kg. Otherwise, the fish looks like this:
· The body of the individual is elongated, resembling a bar in shape.
The small, elongated head contains small eyes and a mouth. The upper lip of the nasal cavity is poorly developed. It is located under a massive cartilage, the nose. This is its distinctive feature.
· In the pharynx area, there is a row of teeth shaped like a knife.
The fins are not very large. The dorsal fin can be distinguished by its dark coloration, sometimes it is black. On the sides, there are medium-sized silvery scales.
· The carp relative only has a darker color on its back. It can be gray-green.
The common cyprinid is sometimes called a black-bellied fish. This doesn't mean the fish has a black belly. It's just that when you clean and cut open the fish, you can see dark stripes on the inside of the belly.
Where does the chub live?
These fish are found only in clean, freshwater rivers. Large populations of the fish have been recorded in Sweden and Germany, where the cleanliness of their water bodies is strictly monitored. The fish are divided into 18 species, based on their habitat.
In Russia, some of them are common, inhabiting the Volga, Don, Ural, Kuban, and Kama rivers. The chub is found in the Terek, Sunzha, Kuma, and Sulak rivers. Chub could previously be caught in Moscow, but today the population in the capital's river has sharply declined.
The fish stay in large schools, and when caught alone, you can count on a large, trophy catch. This carp relative is most often caught in deep water, especially in rivers with a flat, rocky, or sandy bottom. Another favorite habitat for the chub is snags. They can be caught with small lures.
In winter, blackbelly can be caught from pits where the fish retreat before warm weather sets in. All the same baits used for carp fishing can be used.
Let's sum it up
Although the fish is found only in clean waters, there's little interest in catching it. The meat, figuratively speaking, doesn't have much flavor, despite possessing numerous beneficial properties. Therefore, experienced fishermen rarely target the nastier these days. Sometimes, when catching a nastier, anglers are at a loss to determine what kind of trophy they've landed, and only a plump nose can tell them apart.
