Gudgeon

Size: 10-15 cm.

Lifespan: Up to 8 years.

Food: Worms, sea snails and bottom-dwelling insect larvae, dead animals.

Has teeth in its throat

Gudgeons have a pair of barbels at the sides of their mouth. They are used when the fish search the bottom for small creatures to eat. The gudgeon has no teeth in its mouth – instead it has strong, serrated bones in its throat, which it can use to crush the shells of its prey.

The fish like to live in shoals, and breed in spring. The female lays up to 8,000 eggs, which stick to the bottom and hatch after a few weeks. The young have to fend for themselves right away. 

Endangered fish that have recovered

The gudgeon is a bottom-dwelling fish, which thrives best in clear, running water. In Sweden it is only found in Skåne, Blekinge and Småland. In spring 2020, DNA traces of gudgeon were discovered in a river in Västmanland, but no living gudgeon has yet been found there. In the early 2000s, the gudgeon was considered nearly endangered in Sweden, but it has recovered since it was given legal protection.

Distribution in Sweden

Skåne, Blekinge and Småland

White marking = Distribution

Threat based on the Red List

Trade regulations

CITES: Not listed.