Phoxinus phoxinus - Minnow
The humble minnow is a cyprinid - in fact it is the smallest member of the
Carp family found in the British Isles. Minnows rarely grow to more than
10 cm in length.
The agile and gregarious minnow is very much a shoal creature. These
attractive little fish need clean, reasonably well-oxygenated water, and
so they are mainly confined to rivers and streams. There are huge shoals
of minnows in the upper and middle reaches of the River Teifi.
Minnows are the most abundant of British freshwater fishes. They are an
important source of food for kingfishers,
herons and otters
as well as for trout and other large
fishes.
Top of page... |
