Animal Words - Fish Trivia Quiz

Answer: Esox lucius

Esox lucius, the northern pike - a common fresh-water European and North American fish of the family Esocidae. Both the name of the fish and the noun "pike", meaning a long spear for thrusting rather than for throwing, stem from the Proto-Germanic "pikaz" or "piko" meaning "sharp point" or "peak"; the usage for the name of the fish probably derives from its pointed jaws.

We live in a house beside the Lancaster Canal which hosts a lot of pike - in the spring they're the main predators of the mallard ducklings. For some years a large pike (whom we've named Billy) has lived in the reed bed opposite our house - he's over three feet (90 cm) long and weighs over 14 pounds (6 kg)!

Answer: Perca fluviatilis

Perca fluviatilis, the European perch - a fresh-water fish of the family Percidae, found in Europe and northern Asia. The derivation of the noun "perch", meaning a bird's sitting or roosting place, comes via the Old French "perche" from the Latin "pertica", meaning "a staff" or "a long pole". The name of the fish derives from the Ancient Greek for perch, "perka"; this is linked to the word "perknos" meaning "dark-spotted".

Perch are a very popular fish for anglers, but their introduction into Australia, New Zealand and South Africa for this purpose has caused havoc in local fish populations. They can live for over 20 years and attain lengths of over two feet (60 cm).

Answer: Cyprinus carpio

Cyprinus carpio, the common carp - a fresh-water fish of the family Cyprinidae, found in Europe and Asia. The verb "to carp", meaning to complain or to find fault with, comes originally from the Old Norse "karpa" meaning "to boast" or "to brag"; this meaning, however, was changed by the influence of the Latin verb "carpo" meaning "to criticise". The name of the fish is of Germanic origin, coming via Old French "carpe", Vulgar Latin "carpa" and Old High German "karpho".

Carp were probably introduced by the Romans into the rest of Europe from the Danube delta region. They are a popular fish for anglers, but their introduction into other countries has resulted in the International Union for Conservation of Nature listing them among the world's 100 worst invasive species. They can live for over 35 years and attain weights of 100 pounds (45 kg).

Answer: Platichthys flesus

Platichthys flesus, the European flounder - a marine flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae, found in European and North American coastal waters. The name of the fish is of Proto-Germanic origin ("flunþrijǭ"), coming via Old French and Old Norse. The verb "to flounder", meaning to complain or to find fault with, comes from a blend of "flounce" and "founder", or of "founder" and "blunder", or from the Dutch "flodderen", meaning "to wade".

Much to its good fortune the flounder is not a particularly popular catch for fishermen; people prefer plaice or sole.

Answer: Rutilus rutilus

Rutilus rutilus, the common roach - a common fresh- and brackish-water European and western Asian fish of the family Cyrinidae. The derivation of the noun "roach", meaning a marijuana cigarette, is a jocular, extended use of the word cockroach. The name of the fish derives from the Middle Low German word "ruche" meaning "ray" (as in the fish).

There may be a connection to the Proto-Germanic word "ruhaz" meaning "rough". Apart from that there's little of any interest about the roach to report, other than it has nice red fins.

Answer: Alburnus alburnus

Alburnus alburnus, the common bleak - a fresh-water fish of the family Cyprinidae, found in Europe and western Asia. The adjective "bleak", meaning desolate or exposed, goes back through the Middle English "bleke" and Old Norse "bleikr" meaning "pale" to the Proto-Germanic "blaikaz" meaning "pale" or "shining". The name of the fish is of early English origin, "bleke" being a Middle English word for "small river fish".

Bleak are found in great schools in open water, especially in places where there's an outfall of water or a weir. Sadly they are sensitive to pollution and numbers in North-West Europe are currently falling - perhaps its future is looking bleak?

Answer: Osmerus eperlanus

Osmerus eperlanus, the European smelt - a marine fish of the family Osmeridae, found in the coastal waters of northern and western Europe. The verb "to smelt", meaning to produce metal by melting ore, goes right back almost unchanged to the Proto-Germanic "smeltana", meaning "to melt".

The name of the fish shows a similar long history, going back to its name in Proto-Germanic, "smeltaz". This might be linked to its soft bones and flesh, which make it easy to eat - even today it's considered a delicacy in many Northern European countries, and is especially noted for its cucumber-like smell.

Answer: Limanda limanda

Limanda limanda, the common dab - a marine flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae, found in the shallow seas around northern Europe. The verb "to dab", meaning to press or tap lightly, comes from the North German "dabben", meaning "to strike", and is related to the Old Icelandic "dabba", meaning "to tap" or "to slap". The name of the fish comes from the Middle English "dabbe" which is of unknown origin.

Dab are abundant in their local waters and are rapidly becoming exploited as other species are over-fished.

Answer: Solea solea

Solea solea, the common or Dover sole - a salt-water flatfish of the family Soleidae, found in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The derivation of the adjective "sole" comes from the Latin "solus" meaning "single" or "solitary". The name of the fish comes from its similarity to the sole of the foot - thus "sole" in Old English, from the Vulgar Latin meaning both "bottom of the shoe" and "flatfish", in turn from the Latin "solea" meaning "sandal" or "bottom of the shoe", from the Proto-Indo-European "swol" meaning "sole".

The sole is a prized food fish, with a sweet flavour and firm texture. Sadly, it's currently on the Greenpeace International seafood red list.

Answer: Galeorhinus galeus

Galeorhinus galeus, the tope - a marine shark of the family Triakidae, found in waters worldwide. The verb "to tope" comes from the common phrase "topping off", with the sense of completing something, or "topping up", in the sense of refilling a cup or glass that's not completely empty. Hence the use in terms of over-indulging in alcohol. As for the derivation of the name of the fish - I'm sorry, but I've no idea!

The shark is frequently caught, and is a particular favourite in Andalusian cuisine. It was caught extensively during World War II, as scientists had found that its liver was higher in Vitamin A content than any other fish tested; most of the production of this substance used in the US during this period came from tope. If it's anything like cod liver oil I'd rather not have it!