the pomeranian bream . this fish is not , as its scientific name ( Abramis buggenhagii ) implies , and as was once believed , a separate bream species . it can not even claim the distinction of being a bream variety or breed . it is simply a hybrid between the common bream and the roach . it is occasioned by the similarities in habits and spawning of both species . both bream and roach spawn communally at about the same time of year , and both seek similar weedy shallows . occasionally it happens that a shoal of one kind is spawning simultaneously alongside a shoal of the other . eggs deposited on the fringes of each group where the two species would tend to intermingle are obviously fertilised by milt from fishes of the other group . in this way the hybrid pomeranian bream , as it is popularly known , is produced . the hybrid is itself infertile , but it is still a very common fish in waters where roach and bream occur together in large numbers and it is not merely confined to lakes and ponds but is commonly found in rivers also . the fish is silvery in colour , with perhaps a bluish tint . not quite plump enough to be a bream , yet deep enough in the belly to look like a really splendid grandfather roach , its typically forked , bream-like tail should indicate its parentage , as also should its obvious sliminess . but this fish often attains a weight of over two pounds and it is probably more easily mistaken for a roach than anything else . often it is hailed by the excited angler as an exceptionally good specimen roach , and entered for a club contest or prize . for similar reasons to those already given the bream also hybridises with the rudd in waters where these two species are common . the resulting progeny are easily mistaken for very fine rudd and , less often , for stunted bream . it is perfectly natural that an angler should prefer to believe he has taken a fine rudd rather than a poor bream , and like the roach x bream hybrid , this fish is probably responsible for innumerable false record or specimen fish claims . whilst this kind of wishful thinking is understandable , it is nevertheless easily avoidable . both hybrids may be quite definitely identified as imposters by fin ray and scale counts &amp;hellip; . furthermore , only one check is likely to be necessary . the anal fin ray count is almost always decisive in distinguishing such hybrids from both parents , and if only anglers would bother to undertake this , there would be far fewer false record claims , and fewer disappointed anglers as a result , for these imposters are always recognised by any club steward of any experience who cares to undertake the count needed . roach possess 9-12 branched rays in the anal fin . bream possess 23-29 , and rudd 10-13 . the roach x bream hybrid has 15-19 , which establishes quite clearly that it can be neither roach nor bream ! the rudd x bream hybrid has 15-18 which again establishes that it can not be bream or rudd . table 3 gives fuller details of the differences between these fish and their parents , and should suffice to identify any bream hybrid likely to be found . records indicate that rarely the smaller silver bream hybridises with roach and rudd . such hybrids are most uncommon and unlikely to be met . both are small fishes seldom exceeding ten inches , and therefore unlikely to be the cause of false record claims . both may be distinguished by the anal fin , and details of these unusual and even rare hybrids may be found in table 3 . strangely enough there are no records in Britain of hybridisation between the two bream species . this seems curious when we consider the close relationship between the silver and bronzed breams . possibly such hybrids occur , but have not been recognised . owing to the degree of overlapping which occurs in scale and fin ray counts between the two species , it would be almost impossible to detect such a hybrid by external means although examination of the pharyngeal teeth and gill rakers would certainly identify this fish if it were found . the bleak . alburnus alburnus . ( Linnaeus . ) alburnus lucidus . ( Day . ) description . the back is blue-green , or grey-green , and in bright sunshine it appears predominantly green . the flanks are pale green with iridescent tints , fading to a silvery white on the underside . the iridescence of the scales gives the flanks a golden green colour in sunny weather when the fish is ashore , and in duller weather the white or silver aspects predominate . the belly is compressed to a ridge between the ventral fins and as far as the anal fin ; the anal fin is long , and grey . the other fins are sometimes tinted with pink . the body is spindle-shaped and lightly compressed laterally . the head is small , with the mouth superior , and strongly oblique . the upper body surface is lightly curved and the abdomen more so . the scales are very lightly attached to the body , coming off at any careless handling . the ventral fins are set in front of the level of the dorsal fin , and the pectoral fins are situated close to the gill covers , about half-way between the lateral line and the abdomen . these cheerful sparkling little fish swim in the same category as the bream by virtue of their long anal fin , but they rarely share the same swim , being utterly different in habit . they are common fish in many rivers and the strolling observer can hardly fail to notice them , especially as they prefer to live amongst the surface layers of water . they are often to be seen within inches of the bank , too , darting after floating crusts which are soon broken in smaller pieces by the attentions of the shoal . often the bleak are seen leaping and scattering across the surface , alarming other fishes as they flash silver when the pike or prowling perch leaps amongst them in search of a meal . more often than not the bleak causes the dainty rises and splashes which continually dimple the surface , yet despite their timidity , bleak will swim nosing the feet of the small boy paddling in the shallows provided he avoids undue noise and violent movement . in almost any weather bleak are to be found close to the surface , ever ready to amuse the passing walker , or sample the angler &apos;s bait . yet bleak are not much sought after by anglers because they are small and take a bait too readily . in match fishing , however , they are popular , putting a premium on speed and skill at striking the swift tiny bites rather than on water-lore and angling craft . many a match champion owes his laurels to his ability to strike the swift bites at a faster rate than his companions . other anglers regard the bleak as a bait for pike or perch , but most often when the pike are on feed ; striking terror amongst the shallows , the bleak , showing considerable discretion for so small a fish , are nowhere to be found . only the small boy , angling perhaps with a string and stick amongst the brooks off the main stream , knows where they have gone . like the minnow , bleak are very important food fish for other river creatures . these most useful members of the river community provide meals for predatory fish and river birds . not only the regular river-haunting birds , but even the seagulls seeking inland during bad weather know where to look for a feed . the angler &apos;s wife , too , knows that a dish of bleak is not to be despised . well cooked they are tastier than sprats , which they somewhat resemble in appearance . bleak were once very much sought after for the iridescent colouring of their scales . the artificial pearl industry thrived on the colours of the otherwise insignificant bleak . like so many other creatures they were slaughtered in large numbers to satisfy the vanities of the human female . in some waters such as the Thames bleak are so abundant as to be considered a nuisance by various angling bodies . efforts to check the bleak population have been made from time to time by several such groups . possibly it is as well that these efforts have met with little success . although abundant , bleak are delicate fish , and so long as they are capable of surviving in the Thames , so long does this indicate a fair standard of purity in the water . bleak are not found in Scotland , west Wales , Ireland or the lake district . elsewhere in the British Isles they are very common . as aquarium fishes they would probably be welcomed for their attractive colours ; unfortunately they are extremely difficult to keep alive under artificial conditions , and indeed they seldom survive the journey home in a bait can . bleak are recorded as having hybridised naturally with chub and roach . these hybrids are recognised by their long anal fins , and also by a compressed ridge along the abdomen between the ventral fins and the anal fin ( Tate-Regan ) . they are not at all common , and are well worth reporting when taken . please send such fishes where they may be properly examined . only when a large number have been handled by competent authorities will a full knowledge of them become available . details of what is at present known are given in table 4 . the Allis shad . alosa alosa . ( Linnaeus ) . clupea alosa . ( Day . ) description . the back is blue-green , green-brown , or intermediate , with golden flashes on the head , and tints of yellow . the flanks are of a pale olive colour which shades to silver or bluish-white on the underside . a single oval dark spot lies on the upper flank close to the gill cover . in younger fish there may be several such spots , and in older specimens these may disappear entirely . the scales are iridescent and flash golden or yellow in sunlight . the body is strongly compressed laterally and the abdomen is keeled , with the edges of the scales giving a serrated edge to the keel . the lateral line is not visible externally . the mouth is large , slightly oblique , sometimes with fine bristle-like teeth . the snout is blunt and the lower jaw projects slightly giving the fish a pugnacious appearance . the eyes are quite distinctive in being hooded at the front and trailing edges by a semi-transparent membrane . to see this powerful fish leaping over the netsman &apos;s obstructions you could hardly confuse it with the dull and lethargic bream described earlier , despite the suggestion of similarity in body shape . there is in fact no relationship and the shads are typical members of the herring family and , like the herring , they are really marine in habit , entering the province of the freshwater angler and observer only when they migrate upstream to spawn in the river . although the Allis shad is rapidly becoming less common in Britain , it was once plentiful in innumerable large rivers and estuaries such as the Thames which , like so many others , is now denied to the incoming fish by industrial pollution . on the Wye and Severn , however , there are still flourishing commercial shad fisheries , and nets take many thousands of the clean fish each season . the run commences between March and June and then the estuarial reaches are crowded by the professional netsmen . the actual approach of the first shads is still mysteriously heralded by the arrival of sandpipers which are in fact locally called shad birds . a primitive kind of shrimping net is used by many fishermen and great skill is required to capture these swift leaping fish which average about three pounds apiece . fortunately for those who depend upon the shads for a living , the fish follow similar routes year after year , and experienced fishermen know just where to set their obstacles to direct the oncoming fish towards their nets . those which escape ( and many thousands do ) continue their journey upstream undaunted until they arrive amongst the shallower less-frequented streams where they spawn with considerable fuss and splashing . the eggs are simply left unburied and the spent fish commence their return journey . the newly hatched fish remain in fresh water only until four or five inches long , and then they too enter the sea where growth to maturity is rapid . 