Huchen
(Hucho hucho)

General data

Scientific names: Huchen , Danube salmon
Habitat: Freshwater
Climates: Temperate, Continental, Mountain
Native: Europe
Distribution: Vistula, Danube

The huchen (Hucho hucho), also known as Danube salmon or redfish (German: Rotfisch), is a large species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is the type species of its genus Hucho.

The huchen reaches about 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) in length and more than 50 kg (110 lb) in weight. The average length is between 60 to 120 centimetres (24 to 47 in).

The huchen has a slender body that is nearly round in cross-section. On the reddish brown back are several dark patches in an X or crescent shape, but most distinctive feature is fishes head, which is larger than in other salmonides (longer and wider), with large elongated mouth. Smaller fish feed on the larvae of water insects or on insects dropped into the water; the larger individuals are predators of other species of fish and other small vertebrates.