Editing Common dace

{{short description|Species of ray-finned fish}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Leuciscus leuciscus.jpg
| image2 =Leuciscus leuciscus drawing.jpg
| status = LC 
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name = iucn>{{cite iucn |author=Ford, M. |year=2024 |title=''Leuciscus leuciscus'' |page=e.T11887A135089547 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T11887A135089547.en |access-date=11 January 2025}}</ref> 
| taxon = Leuciscus leuciscus
| display_parents = 3
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
| synonyms = {{Specieslist
| Cyprinus leuciscus | Linnaeus, 1758
| Cyprinus dobula | Linnaeus, 1758
| Cyprinus grislagine | Linnaeus, 1758
| Cyprinus graining | [[Johann Julius Walbaum|Walbaum]], 1792
| Cyprinus umbra | Walbaum, 1792
| Cyprinus graining | [[Marcus Elieser Bloch|Bloch]] & [[Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider|Schneide]]r, 1801
| Cyprinus lancastreinsis | [[George Shaw (biologist)|Shaw]], 1804
| Cyprinus simus | [[Benedict Jacob Römer-Büchner|Römer-Büchner]], 1827
| Leuciscus vulgaris | [[John Fleming (naturalist)|Fleming]], 1828
| Leuciscus asgenteus | [[Leopold Fitzinger|Fitzinger]], 1832
| Leuciscus majalis | [[Louis Agassiz|Agassiz]], 1835
| Leuciscus rodens | Agassiz, 1835
| Cyprinus mugilis | [[Jean Nicolas Vallot|Vallot]], 1837
| Leuciscus rostratus | [[Achille Valenciennes|Valenciennes]], 1844
| Leuciscus saltator | [[Charles Lucien Bonaparte|Bonaparte]], 1846
| Squalius chalybeus | [[Johann Jakob Heckel|Heckel]], 1852
| Cyprinus slax | [[Laurens Theodorus Gronovius|Gronow]], 1854
| Squalius vulgaris var. minor | [[Antoni Walecki|Walecki]], 1863
| Squalius vulgaris var. robustior, | Walecki, 1863
| Squalius mehdem, | [[Nikolai Arkadewich Warpachowski|Warpachowski]], 1897
| Idus stagnatilis | [[Pierre-Eudoxe Dubalen|Dubalen]], 1913
| Leuciscus leuciscus roulei | [[Léon Bertin|Bertin]] & [[Roland Estève|Estève]], 1948
}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name = "Cof genus">{{Cof genus|genus=Leuciscus|access-date=30 March 2025}}</ref>
}}
The '''common dace''' ('''''Leuciscus leuciscus''''') is a species of freshwater and brackish water [[ray-finned fish]] from the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Leuciscidae]] which is native to Europe but which has been introduced to other parts of the world. It is a [[Game (hunting)|quarry]] species for [[coarse fishing|coarse anglers]].

==Description==
The common dace differs from other members in the [[genus]] ''[[Leuciscus]]'' found in Europe by its inferior mouth, slightly longer upper jaw which has the tip of the upper lip level with the centre line of the eye and the lack of an obvious snout.<ref name = Fishbase/> It has a yellowish iris and a body which is covered in large silvery scales, the [[lateral line]] having 49–52 scales. The [[anal fin]] has a concave margin and the [[caudal fin]] is forked.<ref name = Maitland>{{cite book | author = Peter S. Maitland | year = 2000 | title = Hamlyn Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Britain and Europe | publisher = Octopus Publishing Group | isbn = 0600596907 | page = 124}}</ref> The [[dorsal fin]] has 2–3 spines and 7–9 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8–9 soft rays. The maximum size attained is a [[Fish measurement|total length]] of {{convert|30|cm|in}}.<ref name = Fishbase>{{FishBase|Leuciscus|leuciscus|month=OCtober|year=2024}}</ref>

==Distribution==
The common dace is native to Europe and northern Asia where its occurs in the basins of the [[North Sea]], [[Baltic Sea]], [[White Sea]] and [[Barents Sea]]. It also occurs in the basin of the [[Caspian Sea]] in the drainage systems of the [[Volga River|Volga]] and [[Ural River]]s and in the [[Black Sea]] basin it is found in the [[Danube]] and the [[Dnieper]]. In France it occurs in the [[Seine River]] drainage and in the drainages of the [[Rhone]] and [[Arc (Provence)|Arc]] which flow into the Mediterranean. In the Danube main river of Romania as well as in Scandinavia north of 69°N and most of central Finland this species has a localised distribution. The populations from Siberia and East Asia are normally assigned to ''[[Leuciscus baicalensis]]'' and ''[[Leuciscus dzungaricus]]''.

This species has been widely introduced in areas of Europe where it did not previously occur. For example, it has become established in [[Ireland]] since the early 1900s, having been taken there as a bait fish to catch larger fish such as pike.<ref name = Fishbase/> Following its introduction in Ireland, it has benefited from [[Enemy release hypothesis|parasite release]], meaning that with its introduction it has lost its normal set of parasites and might thus have a competitive advantage over native species.<ref name="Tierney 2020">{{cite journal |last1=Tierney |first1=P.A. |last2=Caffrey |first2=J.M. |last3=Matthews |first3=S.M. |last4=Costantini |first4=E. |last5=Holland |first5=C.V. |title=Evidence for enemy release in invasive common dace ''Leuciscus leuciscus'' in Ireland: a helminth community survey and systematic review |journal=Journal of Helminthology |date=2020 |volume=94 |pages=e191 |doi=10.1017/S0022149X20000759|pmid=32924909 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Habitat and biology== 
The common dace is found in rivers and streams, sometime occurring in lakes or in the brackish water at the mouths of rivers.<ref name = Maitland/> It is a surface dwelling fish which gather in shoals of adults in the lower reaches of rivers and backwaters during the winter. Some adults remain upstream in the spawning grounds all winter as well. At [[Spawn (biology)|spawning]] time, in March and April, they migrate up stream to lay their pale yellow eggs on shallow gravel beds in fast flowing streams, the eggs attach to gravel and stones. The juveniles hide among the cavities and roots in the bankside vegetation and as they mature they move into faster flowing water. The main food for common dace is small invertebrates.<ref name = Fishbase/>

==Angling==
The common dace is fished for by coarse anglers and the British rod caught record is {{convert|.599|kg|lb|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://anglingtrust.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/BRFC_COARSE_FISH_LISTINGS_July-2021.pdf |title=Coarse Fish Records as at July 2021 |author=British Record (Rod Caught) Fish Committee |website=anglingtrust.net |author-link=Angling Trust|date= 19 July 2021}}</ref> In some parts of Europe it is eaten<ref name = Fishbase/> but it is not highly regarded as a food fish.<ref name = Ireland>{{cite web | url = https://species.biodiversityireland.ie/profile.php?taxonId=14210 | title = ''Leuciscus leuciscus'' Dace Deas | accessdate = 12 March 2020 | publisher = National Biodiversity Data Centre}}</ref> It is used as bait by anglers<ref name = Fishbase/> and that is thought to be the mechanism by which it was introduced to and spread in Ireland.<ref name = Ireland/>

==See also==
* [[Fried dace with salted black beans]], made from a different fish

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Leuciscus leuciscus|Common dace}}
* {{ARKive|3=Dace ''(Leuciscus leuciscus)''}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q143326}}

[[Category:Leuciscus|Common dace]]
[[Category:Cyprinid fish of Asia]]
[[Category:Cyprinid fish of Europe]]
[[Category:Fish of Russia]]
[[Category:Fish described in 1758]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]