Zander

Q: Can you eat Zander?

Lean, firm white flesh with a delicate, mild flavor and nearly no fat; boneless fillets are easy to work with. The most prized freshwater eating fish in Central and Eastern Europe.

Q: How big does Zander get?

Zander can grow up to 130.0 cm long and weigh 20.0 kg.

Q: Where is Zander found?

Native to river systems and large lakes of northern and central Europe and western Asia, including the Volga, Danube, Rhine, and Baltic Sea drainages. Tolerates mildly brackish conditions in the Baltic and Caspian sea margins. Estuaries

Q: Is Zander endangered?

The conservation status of Zander is Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List.

Q: What family does Zander belong to?

Zander (Sander lucioperca) belongs to the family Percidae (Perches) in the order Perciformes (Perch-like fishes).

Abstract

Often called the European counterpart of the walleye, the zander is a slender, greenish percid whose large, light-gathering eyes make it a crepuscular predator. Marked by eight to ten dark vertical bars and a first dorsal fin of spotted rays, it grows to 1.3 metres in the rivers and large lakes of northern and central Europe and western Asia. It tolerates mildly brackish conditions in the Baltic and Caspian margins and hunts most actively at dawn and dusk. Its lean, firm, almost fat-free white flesh yields easy boneless fillets and is regarded as the finest freshwater eating fish across Central and Eastern Europe. The species is assessed as Least Concern.