This member of the perch family has the predatory feeding behaviour of the pike. They’re a non-native invasive species that cause particular harm to bullhead, gudgeon and roach populations.
Zander are from the perch family, which also include ruffe and darter.
From the Percidae family, which also includes perch and ruffe, zander are an predatory fish found in freshwater and brackish waters.
Zander were illegally introduced to the canal network around the 1870s, they negatively impact the native canal ecology. Growing to a large size, they're formidable predators who are particularly harmful to narrow, shallow and turbid waterways – the likes of which largely make up our canal network. They may be less impactful in clearer water conditions.
Zander are often active at night and will lie up in shady areas near the lake, river or canal bed during daylight.
Zander are advanced predators with excellent eyesight.
Zander are often a green-brown colour with dark vertical markings, similar to the perch, and a cream or white belly. They are distinguished by their double dorsal fin, with the front fin containing hard and quite sharp rays and a flat spine at the rear of the gill cover.
Zander have two long, sharp teeth at the front that give it the look of a vampire and two large eyes that can often be opaque to enable them to see in murky waters and take advantage of prey.
Lifecycle of a zander
Spawning occurs at temperatures of 12 degrees from April to June over a sandy or stony bottom. Females lay all of their eggs at once, only spawning once a year.
Zander excel in their hunting style in murky and heavily-coloured waters. Canals busy with boats or deep rivers are great places to catch zander.
You can catch them on small lures, but they generally prefer either dead baits or, better still, live baits. Using fish as bait involves the use of a double or treble hook and wire trace. Part of the hook holds the bait in place, while the other part is used to hook the fish. The bait can either be held in place with weight or used similarly to a lure whereby the bait is cast out and retrieved.
Zander cannot be returned alive to our waterways. Read our position statement issued by Defra in partnership with the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Canal & River Trust.
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