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Weatherfish
Schlammpeitzger
Scientific name: Misgurnus fossilis
NativeFreshwater
Behavior
Nocturnal. Lives in muddy, plant-rich still water or slow-flowing water such as ponds, lakes, ditches, and floodplain pools. Tolerates low oxygen via intestinal breathing. Burrows into mud during drought or hard frost.
Features
Elongated, cylindrical body with 10 barbels. Yellow-brown with irregular dark spots.
Distribution
North of the Alps, from the Meuse east to the Volga delta. In Germany mainly in the northern lowlands, concentrated in the Elbe and Oder systems; more common in Upper Lusatia in Saxony. Listed as endangered.