A stocky body with a green back and sides, a yellow-orange belly, and small, mucus-covered scales. The mouth has a pair of short barbels; the eye is golden-red. The fins are rounded; in males, the ventral fins are more robust and longer. It can reach 60 cm in length and weigh over 6 kg.
It is a species typical of stagnant or slow-flowing waters, rich in vegetation and with a muddy bottom. It is present in all the natural lakes in the province's foothills and in slow-flowing stretches of water with aquatic vegetation. It can tolerate low levels of dissolved oxygen.
It is omnivorous: it feeds on plants, worms, crustaceans, insects, and other bottom-dwelling organisms. It leads a solitary life. It hibernates during the winter, buried in the mud. It spawns from May to August, depending on water temperature. During this period, tench schools approach riparian areas rich in submerged vegetation, where each female lays tens of thousands of small, greenish, sticky eggs. The fry hatch after a week.
Tench is an important species for professional fishing in Lake Garda, where it represents 3-5% of the total annual catch (approximately 150-300 quintals). Recreational fishing, practiced with a rod, is preceded by the traditional use of polenta.
Tench is very lively and can survive for long periods out of water, as long as it's kept moist. Its very lean meat is prized for its culinary value. If caught in a pond, it shouldn't be cooked immediately but should be kept alive for a few days in a little clear, running water, which removes its muddy flavor.
Dialect: tenca .
G. TOMASI, 2004 - The Three Hundred Lakes of Trentino. Ed. Artimedia – Temi, Trento, 535 pp.
