# Roach (*Rutilus rutilus*) Roaches are shiny, silver-colored fish that love to swim in rivers and lakes. They are very social and often swim in groups with their friends. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Freshwater rivers and lakes ![Roach](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426643/objects/4686.jpg) ## Appearance The Roach is a sleek, silvery-scaled fish with a streamlined body and a slightly olive-green back. Its most distinguishing features are its bright red eyes and vibrant red-orange pelvic and anal fins. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Cypriniformes - **Family:** Cyprinidae - **Genus:** Rutilus ## Interesting facts - A large group of roach swimming together is called a 'shoal'! - Roach eggs are super sticky and can travel on bird feathers to new ponds! - Roach fish change their body color slightly to blend in with their surroundings! - These fish can survive in water with surprisingly low oxygen levels! ## Special abilities - **Adaptable Survivor:** Roach can thrive in many water conditions because of their robust physiology that helps them survive pollution and varying temperatures. - **Schooling Safety:** Roach can group into large schools because of their social instinct that helps them confuse predators and find food more efficiently. - **All-Body Taste Buds:** Roach has a keen sense of taste with taste buds all over its body that helps them detect tiny food particles even in murky water. - **Rapid Juveniles:** Young Roach can grow quickly because of their efficient feeding that helps them reach a size to avoid many predators faster. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 20-50 cm - **Weight:** 0.1-2 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-20 years - **Swim Speed:** 8 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 15 m - **Water Type:** Freshwater ## Diet & Feeding Roach are omnivores, munching on tiny plants, insects, and even other small critters they find. - **Age differences:** Young roach eat more plankton; adults broaden their diet to include larger insects and plants. - **Primary Foods:** aquatic plants, insect larvae, small crustaceans, algae, detritus, fish eggs - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Northern Pike](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-pike) (*Esox lucius*) — Pike hunt Roach as a primary food source. - **Eaten by:** [European Perch](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-perch) (*Perca fluviatilis*) — Young Roach are common prey for larger Perch. - **Eats:** Lake Midge (*Chironomus plumosus*) — Roach consume midge larvae from lake sediment. - **Eats:** Common Water Flea (*Daphnia pulex*) — Roach filter-feed on microscopic water fleas. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Roach? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Roach? 20-50 cm ### How much does Roach weigh? 0.1-2 kg ### How long does Roach live? 5-20 years ### What does Roach eat? Roach are omnivores, munching on tiny plants, insects, and even other small critters they find. ### How fast can Roach swim? 8 km/h ### Where is Roach usually found? Freshwater rivers and lakes ### How does Roach hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Audubon Insectarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/audubon-insectarium) — Louisiana, US · Zoo ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Roach: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roach)