Abramis brama

About This Species

Basic Description

The Common Bream, also known as Bronze Bream, is a large freshwater fish native to Europe and Western Asia. It is a social, bottom-dwelling species that should be kept in small groups. As an omnivore, it requires a varied diet of sinking foods. Due to its eventual large size and specific care needs, it is considered a challenging species to keep and is not recommended for beginners.

Detailed Description

Hobbyists keeping Common Bream must provide a very large, low-flow environment to accommodate its size and slow-swimming nature. As a bottom-dwelling omnivore, its diet should feature a daily supply of sinking pellets, wafers, and frozen or live foods. This is a schooling fish, and a group is essential for its well-being. Aquascaping should be done with care, as this species actively uproots plants. Its high waste production demands a robust filtration system to manage the significant bioload and maintain water quality. Successful breeding is rare in captivity, requiring special conditioning.

Scientific Description

Abramis brama, a member of the family Leuciscidae, is a large, long-lived cyprinid originating from low-flow freshwater systems in Europe and Western Asia. This species possesses a medium metabolism and oxygen consumption rate but produces a high bioload. It is physiologically tolerant of a wide range of pH and water hardness. Behaviorally, it is a gregarious, bottom-dwelling omnivore that exhibits fossorial tendencies, often disturbing substrate and plants. Its reproduction is not spontaneous in captivity and requires specific environmental triggers, categorizing it as difficult to breed under typical aquarium conditions.