Eleginus navaga

Eleginus navaga – is a cold-loving benthic fish of the cod family (Gadidae). It enters the mouths of rivers and lakes. The usual length is 30–35 cm. It has a weight of 0.7-1.0 kg. It inhabits the coastal zone, approaching the shore in winter for spawning, and in summer, as the water off the coast gets warmer, it retreats a little further from the shore, at a depth of 30 to 60 m, for fattening. It only spawns in sea water from December to February near the coast in the area, influenced by tidal currents at a low (up to −1.8 °C) bottom temperature, under ice. The female spawns 25–210 thousand eggs, but they do not stick to the ground. The larvae, which appear in April, are waylaid by numerous enemies. E.N. feeds on sandhoppers, mysids, and partly fish fry. It becomes sexually mature at the age of 2–3 years. E.N. is an important food fish. Its ice fishing is widespread from November to January. It is common in the Pechora (south-eastern part of the Barents Sea), White, and Kara Seas.

Elegi...