Variety of fishes of Baikal

In Baikal there are 53 species and subspecies of fish belonging to 13 families. More than a half of them - 31 species- are gobies. Gobies do not represent special trade value (though there was a time when people catch them), but scientists, first of all biologists –evolutionists are very interested in them. Outside Baikal there are only two species of them- sandy and stone wode brow fosh; the biggest part of species was originated obviously in Baikal. All fishes of Baikal belong to three ecology-faunistic complexes: Siberian (14 species and subspecies), Siberian-Baikal (10 species and subspecies) and Baikal (29 species). The Siberian complex comprises common Siberian species living in gulfs (sor - the local name) of Baikal. These are basically carp, perch, and pike. Acclimatized species - sazan, catfish and bream are also included into this group. The Siberian-Baikal complex is presented by, waterbelly and sturgeon fishes, living in the coastal (up to 300 м) zone of the lake. The Baikal fish complex dominates in the lake it comprises 56 % of the general number of species and 80 % of all fish productiveness of the lake.

In the thickness of the water of open Baikal two species of golomyanka (bare-fish) live. Golomyanka is a viviparous fish, they do not spawn, and spawn from 1 up to 3 thousand of larvae into the water. They are the most numerous fishes of Baikal. At the weight of body of 15-25 grams their general biomass is about 160 thousand tons, i.e. it is more, than biomass of all other fishes taken together. However golomyanka has no trade value, because it doesn`t form large congestions.

Out of 53 species of fishes living in Baikal, only 15 are of trade value. However in gastronomic relation (and, accordingly, in trade) they are the most valuable. These are waterbelly, white fish, black хариус, ленок, таймень, sturgeon, burbot, perch, pike, roach and crucian.

The main food fish of Baikal is sturgeon. There are 3 groups of sturgeon according to the places of living and to outward signs: pelaganian sturgeon (generating in Selenga and surface waters of Baikal), the coastal (spawning in the rivers of the northern extremity of the lake and eating in the coastal zone) and deep-water, spawning in the small rivers.

The gulf (sor) group of fish is at the second place in Baikal. Among them: small fry, perch, pike, roach and crucian. Other industrial fishes - хариус, waterbelly, sturgeon, char in connection with their comparative small number is interesting as possible objects for fish breeding, and also for amateur and sports fishery.

Some species were specially brought in water basin of Baikal in the middle of the XXth century when the view point (further recognized as mistaken), that forage reserve of Baikal was not used properly, and it was necessary to enrich it with several brought industrial species. So the Amur sazan, the Amur catfish, the eastern bream appeared in Baikal. But there were also fishes which penetrated in Baikal not with the help of people but most likely - together with brought in tanks from the Far East the above mentioned species of acclimatized fishes. These are Rotan, gluttonous predator with a huge head in the third of the length of its body and large sharp-toothed mouth. Was not of trade value, but because of its gluttony it may cause damage to fish economy, exterminating young valuable species of fishes. The experts are anxious with the facts of Rotan occurrence already in Baikal, in the areas, adjoining to the delta of Selenga. And in training courses of ecology it will become one of the classical examples of so-called biological pollution of waters.

Unlimited (including poacher) catch resulted, unfortunately, in impoverishment of stocks of the most valuable species of fishes. Sturgeon and waterbelly the largest representatives of ichthyofauna become rare in the lake. The industrial catch of these fishes is officially forbidden.