The forgotten fish of UK rivers

This is a subject very close to me as many people are unaware of whats going on. There are around a dozen 'Mini' species that live in UK freshwater. These fish have no food value and little angling value due to their size.

 3 Spined Stickleback ( Gasterosteus aculeatus)

However they provide food for all the more attractive species like Kingfishers, Dippers, Otters and Bigger fish like Trout and Pike. if these little fish aren't here the whole food chain suffers.

9 Spined Stickleback (Pungitius pungitius)

These fish are declining for unknown reasons as well as predation and being out competed by invasives  they are heavily unrecorded around the UK.

Stone Loach (Barbatula barbatula) 

Stone loach are found in clear and clean rivers and come out at night to feed

Spined Loach (Cobitis taenia)

The Spined loach is a separate species from the more common stone loach and only occurs in rivers and waterways in eastern england, which were once connected to the Rhine. The Great Ouse, Witham and Trent once joined the Rhine and together drained down a vast valley that is now the Channel, reaching the sea somewhere west of the Isle of Wight.

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