Tench (Tinca tinca)

Tench (Tinca tinca) is a freshwater fish native to Europe and parts of Asia. Recognizable by its stout, rounded body and olive-green coloration, it has a smooth, scaleless skin covered with small, golden-bronze spots. Tench prefers slow-moving, vegetated waters such as ponds, lakes, and rivers, where it feeds on aquatic plants, insects, and invertebrates. It is a hardy species, capable of surviving in oxygen-poor conditions, and is valued both culturally and for sport fishing. Tench can grow up to 60 centimeters (about 24 inches) in length and live up to 20 years under optimal conditions.