Tinca tinca (tench)

Identity

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Preferred Scientific Name

Tinca tinca (Linnaeus, 1758)

Preferred Common Name

tench

Other Scientific Names

Cyprinus tinca Linnaeus, 1758
Cyprinus tinca auratus Bloch, 1782
Cyprinus tincaauratus Bloch, 1782
Cyprinus tincauratus Lacepède, 1803
Cyprinus tincaurea Shaw, 1804
Cyprinus zeelt Lacepède, 1803
Tinca aurea Gmelin, 1788
Tinca chrysitis Fitzinger, 1832
Tinca communis Swainson, 1839
Tinca italica Bonaparte, 1836
Tinca limosa Koch, 1840
Tinca linnei Malm, 1877
Tinca vulgaris Fleming, 1828
Tinca vulgaris cestellae Segre, 1904
Tinca vulgaris maculata Costa, 1838

International Common Names

English: green tench
French: aiguillon; aiguillons; beurote

Local Common Names

Czech Republic: lien
Germany: alia
Greece: glini; glínia
Hungary: compó
Iceland: grunnungur
India: doctor-fish
Iran: laaymahi; lai ahi
Ireland: curaman
Turkey: kadife baligi

Summary of Invasiveness

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Tinca tinca was introduced into the River Murray in 1876 and has spread rapidly throughout the Murray-Darling System. A small population has been reported in the Onkaparinga River. Numbers were reduced in the 1970s when the common carp population increased. T. tinca do not represent a serious threat to native fish in Australia.

The US Fish Commission imported T. tinca into North America from Germany in 1877 for use as a food and sport fish, distributing it to some 36 states during the late nineteenth century. Although most T. tinca introductions were the result of intentional stockings, some introductions were the result of escape from holding facilities. Recent studies indicate that T. tinca is no longer present in areas it had been introduced to or in some case was temporarily established. Baughman (1947) presented evidence suggesting that the presence of centrarchids somehow prevented the more widespread establishment of T. tinca in the USA.

Their omnivorous diet and tolerance of a wide range of environmental conditions has lead to some countries labelling tench an invasive species, due to concerns over competition with native fish (ISSG, 2011).

Taxonomic Tree

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Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Metazoa
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Genus: Tinca
Species: Tinca tinca

Description

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Tinca tinca has 4 dorsal spines, 8-9 dorsal soft rays, 3-4 anal spines, 6-8 anal soft rays and a caudal fin with 19 rays. T. tinca has a thickset, heavy and laterally-compressed body, with a deep and short caudal peduncle. The skin is thick and slimy with small scales embedded. It is usually olive-green but at times dark green or almost black, with golden reflections on the ventral surface. The head is triangular, with orange-red eyes and a relatively long rounded snout. The mouth is terminal, small with thick lips and a pair of well-developed barbels, one at each corner of the mouth. Fully grown, T. tinca is 64 cm (25 inches) long and weighs some 7.5 kg (16 pounds). In the male, the first two rays of the pelvic fins are very thick and this fin is long enough to completely cover the anal opening. Most males reach maturity when they are 3 years old, averaging 9.5 cm; females mature at 4 years of age, measuring 12.5 cm.

Distribution

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Tinca tinca is distributed throughout the whole of Europe, with the exception of northern Scandinavia, the northern part of Scotland, the Crimea and the western part of the Balkan Peninsula; it is also found in many parts of western Asia. It can be found even in the mildly salty water of the eastern Baltic. It is found in many states in the USA (Nico and Fuller, 2011).

Distribution Table

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The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.

Last updated: 10 Feb 2022

Continent/Country/Region	Distribution	Origin	First Reported	Reference	Notes
Africa
Algeria	Present	Introduced	1894	Seebens et al. (2017)
Madagascar	Present	Introduced	1936	Seebens et al. (2017)
Morocco	Present	Introduced	1945	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004)
South Africa	Present	Introduced	1896	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004)
Tunisia	Present	Introduced	1965	Seebens et al. (2017)
Zambia	Present	Introduced	1946	Seebens et al. (2017)
Zimbabwe	Present	Introduced	1920	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004)
Asia
Armenia	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Azerbaijan	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
China	Present	Native		FishBase (2004) Seebens et al. (2017)
Georgia	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
India	Present	Introduced	1870	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004)
Indonesia	Present	Introduced	1927	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004)
Iran	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Israel	Present	Introduced		Seebens et al. (2017) DAISIE (2011)	First reported: 1940 - 1949
Japan	Present	Introduced	1961	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004)
Kazakhstan	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Kyrgyzstan	Present	Introduced		FishBase (2004)
Mongolia	Present	Native		Froese and Pauly (2011)
Turkey	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Uzbekistan	Present	Introduced	1953	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004)
Europe
Albania	Present	Native		Froese and Pauly (2011)
Austria	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Belarus	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Belgium	Present	Native		Froese and Pauly (2011)
Bulgaria	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Croatia	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Cyprus	Present	Introduced	1984	Seebens et al. (2017)
Czechia	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Denmark	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Estonia	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Finland	Present	Native		FishBase (2004) Seebens et al. (2017)
France	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Germany	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Greece	Present	Native		FishBase (2004) DAISIE (2011) Seebens et al. (2017)
Hungary	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Ireland	Present	Introduced	1634	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004) DAISIE (2011)
Italy	Present	Introduced		FishBase (2004)
Latvia	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Lithuania	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Moldova	Present	Native		Froese and Pauly (2011)
Netherlands	Present	Native		FishBase (2004) Seebens et al. (2017)
North Macedonia	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Norway	Present	Introduced	1800	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004) DAISIE (2011) NOBANIS (2011)
Poland	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Portugal	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Romania	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Russia	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Serbia and Montenegro	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Slovakia	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Slovenia	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Spain	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Sweden	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Switzerland	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
Ukraine	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
United Kingdom	Present	Native		FishBase (2004)
-Scotland	Present	Native		Froese and Pauly (2011)
North America
Canada	Present	Introduced	1895	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004)
-British Columbia	Present	Introduced		FishBase (2004)
United States	Present	Introduced	1874	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004) USGS (2004)
-Alabama	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Arizona	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Arkansas	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-California	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Colorado	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Connecticut	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Delaware	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Florida	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Georgia	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Idaho	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Illinois	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Indiana	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Iowa	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Kansas	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Kentucky	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Louisiana	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Maryland	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Massachusetts	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Michigan	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Mississippi	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Missouri	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Nebraska	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Nevada	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-New Jersey	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-New Mexico	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-New York	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-North Carolina	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Ohio	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Oklahoma	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Oregon	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Pennsylvania	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-South Carolina	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Tennessee	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Texas	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Utah	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Vermont	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Virginia	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Washington	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-West Virginia	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
-Wisconsin	Present	Introduced		Nico and Fuller (2011)
Oceania
Australia	Present	Introduced	1876	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004)
New Zealand	Present	Introduced	1867	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004)
South America
Chile	Present	Introduced	1927	Seebens et al. (2017) FishBase (2004)

History of Introduction and Spread

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See Nico and Fuller (2011) for a history of introduction of this species in the USA.

Introductions

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Introduced to	Introduced from	Year	Reason	Introduced by	Established in wild through		References	Notes
Introduced to	Introduced from	Year	Reason	Introduced by	Natural reproduction	Continuous restocking	References	Notes
Australia		1876	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Canada	USA	1895	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Chile		1908	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Cyprus	Hungary	1984	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown			FishBase (2004)
Finland	Poland	1936	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
India	UK	1870	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Indonesia	Netherlands	1927	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Ireland	UK	1700-1799	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Italy		pre-1700s	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Japan		1953	Aquaculture (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Japan	Netherlands	1961	Aquaculture (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Jordan	Europe	1947	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown			FishBase (2004)
Madagascar	France	1936	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown			FishBase (2004)
Morocco	France	1945	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
New Zealand	Tasmania	1867	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Norway	Netherlands	1820	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Portugal	Spain	pre-1700s	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
South Africa	UK	1896	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)
Tunisia	Morocco	1965	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown			FishBase (2004)
USA	Germany	1877	Aquaculture (pathway cause); Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Government	Yes		FishBase (2004); Nico and Fuller (2011)
Zambia	USA	1946	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown			FishBase (2004)
Zimbabwe	South Africa	1920	Hunting, angling, sport or racing (pathway cause)	Unknown	Yes		FishBase (2004)

Habitat List

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Category	Sub-Category	Habitat	Presence	Status
Freshwater
Brackish

Natural Food Sources

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Food Source	Food Source Datasheet	Life Stage	Contribution to Total Food Intake (%)	Details
bottom sediment		Aquatic\|Adult	21.2
zooplankton		Aquatic\|Adult	43.8

Climate

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Climate	Status	Description	Remark
C - Temperate/Mesothermal climate	Preferred	Average temp. of coldest month > 0°C and < 18°C, mean warmest month > 10°C

Air Temperature

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Parameter	Lower limit	Upper limit
Mean maximum temperature of hottest month (ºC)		24
Mean minimum temperature of coldest month (ºC)	4

Pathway Causes

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Cause	Long Distance	Local	References
Escape from confinement or garden escape		Yes	Nico and Fuller (2011)
Intentional release	Yes	Yes	Nico and Fuller (2011)
Stocking	Yes	Yes	Nico and Fuller (2011)

Impact Summary

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Category	Impact
Fisheries / aquaculture	Positive
Tourism	Positive

Environmental Impact

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Impacts of the introduction of this species are largely unknown, for further discussion see Nico and Fuller (2011).

Uses List

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Animal feed, fodder, forage

Live feed

Human food and beverage

Canned meat
Fresh meat
Frozen meat
Live product for human consumption
Whole

References

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Arkhipchuk VV, 1999. Chromosome database. Database of Dr. Victor Arkhipchuk. Ukraine.

Baughman JL, 1947. The tench in America. Journal of Wildlife Management, 11(3):197-204.

Breton B; Horoszewicz L; Bieniarz K; Epler P, 1980. Temperature and reproduction in tench: effect of a rise in the annual temperature regime on gonadotropin level, gametogenesis and spawning. 2. The female. Reproduction, Nutrition, Developpement, 20(4A):1011-1024.

Breton B; Horoszewicz L; Billard R; Bieniarz K, 1980. Temperature and reproduction in tench: effect of a rise in the annual temperature regime on gonadotrophin level, gametogenesis and spawning. 1. The male. Reproduction, Nutrition, Developpement, 20(1A):105-118.

Buchtová H; Svobodová Z; Flajshans M; Vorlová L, 2003. Analysis of slaughtering value of diploid and triploid population of tench (Tinca tinca, Linnaeus 1758). Czech Journal of Animal Science, 48(7):285-294.

Bulinski R; Kutulas K, 1970. Choline content of freshwater and sea fish. Medycyna Weterynaryjna, 26(4):229-231.

Carral JM; Rodriguez R; Celada JD; Sáez-Royuela M; Aguilera A; Melendre P, 2003. Successful gonadal development and maturation of tench (Tinca tinca L.) in small concrete ponds. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 19(3):130-131.

DAISIE, 2011. European Invasive Alien Species Gateway. http://www.europe-aliens.org/

FishBase, 2004. Entry for Tinca tinca. Main ref. Kottelat M, 1997. European freshwater fishes. Biologia 52, Suppl. 5:84. Online at www.fishbase.org. Accessed 26 February 2004.

Flajshans M; Billard R, 1995. Preface. In: The International Workshop on the Biology and Culture of the Tench, Tinca tinca, Ohrada Hunting Lodge, Czech Republic, 28 August-1 September, 1994. Polish Archives of Hydrobiology, 42:5-6.

Flajshans M; Linhart O; Kvasnicka P, 1993. Genetic studies of tench (Tinca tinca L.): induced triploidy and tetraploidy and first performance data. Aquaculture, 113(4):301-312.

Froese R; Pauly D, 2011. FishBase. http://www.fishbase.org

Horoszewicz L, 1983. Reproductive rhythm in Tench, Tinca Tinca (L.), in fluctuating temperatures. Aquaculture, 32(1/2):79-92.

ISSG, 2011. Global Invasive Species Database (GISD). Invasive Species Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. http://www.issg.org/database

Klinkhardt M; Tesche M; Greven H, 1995. Database of fish chromosomes. Westarp Wissenschaften, 179 pp.

Kouril J, 1987. Induced ovulation of the female tench (Tinca tinca L.): effect of the numbers and levels of pituitary injections on the results of stripping. Práce VU^acute~RH Vodnany, No. 16:53-61.

Kouril J; Barth J, 1981. Ovulation induction by LHRH to facilitate artificial stripping of tench (Tinca tinca). Buletin VURH Vodnany, 17(1):13-18.

Kouril J; Barth T; Hamácková J, 1981. The use of arginine-vasotocin and LHRH for induction of ovulation and artificial spawning of tench (Tinca tinca). Reprodukce, genetika a hybridizace ryb. Vedecká konference, Milenovice 28.-30. ríjna 1980., 78-81.

Kouril J; Barth T; Hamácková J; Flegel M; Krchnák V; Pospísek J, 1986. Testing the effects of some analogues of LHRH on the induction of ovulation in female tench (Tinca tinca). Buletin VU^acute~RH Vodnany, 22(3):3-12.

Kouril J; Barth T; Hamácková J; Flegel M; Prikryl I, 1986. Induced ovulation in female tench (Tinca tinca) following an injection of hypophysis and LHRH analogues into different body regions. Buletin VU^acute~RH Vodnany, 22(2):30-39.

Kouril J; Barth T; Hamácková J; Slaninová J; Servítová L; Machácek J; Flegel M, 1983. The use of LHRH and its analogue for inducing ovulation in the tench, grass carp, common carp and wels. Buletin VU^acute~RH Vodnany, 19(2):3-16.

Kouril J; Hamácková J; Linhart O, 1984. The artificial reproduction of tench. Chov lína a jeho perspektivy., 24-31.

Kouril J; Mikodina EV; Glubokov AI; Hamácková J; Barth T; Flegel M; Charvátová J, 1989. The use of [D-Glu(NH-Ad), Trp, Leu] GnRH for ovulation induction in female tench (Tinca tinca). Buletin VU^acute~RH Vodnany, 25(1):8-13.

Kouril J; Mikodina EV; Navolotskii VI; Hamácková J; Vachta R; Velek J; Bláha I; Barth T, 1990. The effect of salmon GnRH on the induction of ovulation in female tench (Tinca tinca). Buletin - Vyzkumny U^acute~stav Rybársky a Hydrobiologicky Vodnany, 26(3):7-10.

Kvasnicka P; Flajshans M, 1992. The incidence of natural triploids in selected populations of tench (Tinca tinca). Sborník - Jihoceská Univerzita, Zemedelská Fakulta, Ceské, Budejovice, Zootechniká Rada, 9(special issue):221-222.

Morawska B, 1984. The effect of water temperature elevation on incipient and cumulative fecundity of batch-spawning tench, Tinca tinca (L.). Aquaculture, 42(3-4):273-288.

Nabrzyski M, 1975. Mercury, copper and zinc in the flesh of some freshwater fish species. Bromatologia i Chemia Toksykologiczna, 8(3):313-319.

Nico L; Fuller P, 2011. Tinca tinca. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Gainesville, Florida, USA: USGS. http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=652

NOBANIS, 2011. North European and Baltic Network on Invasive Alien Species. http://www.nobanis.org/

Pyka J, 1997. Daily feeding cycle tench, Tinca tinca (L.), in larval and fry stages in the conditions of pond culture. An attempt to determine daily food ration. Archiwum Rybactwa Polskiego, 5(2):279-290; 16 ref.

Rab P; Flajshans M; Linhart O, 2002. Tench - its domestication and colour mutations (in Czech). Ziva, 6:272-275.

Svobodova Z; Kolarova J, 2004. A review of the diseases and contaminant related mortalities of tench (Tinca tinca L.). Veterinární Medicína, 49(1):19-34.

USGS, 2004. Nonindigenous aquatic species database. Tinca tinca (Linnaeus, 1758). Online at http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/SpFactSheet.asp?speciesID=652. Accessed 3 March 2004.

Wedekind H; Rennert B; Kohlmann K, 2003. Product quality in different strains of tench (Tinca tinca) tested under controlled environmental conditions. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 19(3):174-176.

Wheeler A, 1969. The fishes of the British Isles and North-west Europe. Michigan, USA: Michigan State University Press.

Distribution References

CABI, Undated. CABI Compendium: Status as determined by CABI editor. Wallingford, UK: CABI

DAISIE, 2011. European Invasive Alien Species Gateway. In: European Invasive Alien Species Gateway, http://www.europe-aliens.org/

FishBase, 2004. Entry for Tinca tinca. In: Main ref. Kottelat M, 1997. European freshwater fishes. Biologia, 5 84. http://www.fishbase.org

Froese R, Pauly D, 2011. FishBase. In: FishBase, http://www.fishbase.org

Nico L, Fuller P, 2011. (Tinca tinca). In: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, Florida, USA: USGS. http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=652

NOBANIS, 2011. North European and Baltic Network on Invasive Alien Species. In: North European and Baltic Network on Invasive Alien Species, http://www.nobanis.org/

Seebens H, Blackburn T M, Dyer E E, Genovesi P, Hulme P E, Jeschke J M, Pagad S, Pyšek P, Winter M, Arianoutsou M, Bacher S, Blasius B, Brundu G, Capinha C, Celesti-Grapow L, Dawson W, Dullinger S, Fuentes N, Jäger H, Kartesz J, Kenis M, Kreft H, Kühn I, Lenzner B, Liebhold A, Mosena A (et al), 2017. No saturation in the accumulation of alien species worldwide. Nature Communications. 8 (2), 14435. http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14435

USGS, 2004. Nonindigenous aquatic species database. Tinca tinca (Linnaeus, 1758)., http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/SpFactSheet.asp?speciesID=652

Links to Websites

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Website	URL	Comment
GISD/IASPMR: Invasive Alien Species Pathway Management Resource and DAISIE European Invasive Alien Species Gateway	https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.m93f6	Data source for updated system data added to species habitat list.
Global register of Introduced and Invasive species (GRIIS)	http://griis.org/	Data source for updated system data added to species habitat list.
NAS - Species Factsheet	http://nas.er.usgs.gov
Sea-river Newsletters - The tench	http://sea-river.com/112_2_gb.php

Contributors

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Main Author
Uma Sabapathy Allen
Human Sciences, CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 8DE, UK

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Datasheet

Tinca tinca (tench)

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