substrate and drift with the current before adhering to the bottom. The larvae and juveniles feed on detritus on the bottom. The fingerlings grow to some in the first year and this fish can live for up to five years. The species is much valued for its delicate flavour. Predators The gudgeon is a common prey of many fish-eating predators like Eurasian otter or common kingfisher. In Central Europe, on streams and rivers, gudgeon composes up to 45% of the diet of common kingfisher (by numbers, usually between 25 and 35%) and represented the most hunted fish prey. One study has shown that gudgeon composed over 80% of the diet of otter by numbers and over 50% of the diet by weight (Chotýšanka stream, Central Bohemia, Czech Republic). Status The gudgeon has a wide range and is abundant in many localities. It faces no particular identified threats so the IUCN has listed it as being of "Least Concern". References Freshwater fish of Europe Gobio Fish described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus