Bony fish · Gadiformes · Lotidae

Burbot

Lota lota

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The burbot is a gadiform fish of the family Lotidae. It is the only gadiform that lives in fresh water and the only representative of the genus Lota.

Weight

18.7 kg on average

Size

up to 1.5 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Fun facts

It is the only gadid that lives exclusively in fresh water: the rest of the cod family is marine.
It spawns under the ice, between February and March, forming a writhing ball of fish and building no nest.
In the United Kingdom it is extinct, and in the lower Danube it is considered threatened by climate change.

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)
Habitat & environment: Deep bottoms of cold lakes and slow reaches of Holarctic rivers, between 1 and 700 m and at 4-18 °C; it shelters among roots, logs and rocks
Sexual maturity: 4 years
Litter / clutch size: A large female can lay over a million eggs, about 1 mm across

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lota_lota