River thunder pad

The River Toad is, contrary to what its name suggests, not a toad but a small fish. It grows up to 15 cm in size. It has a double dorsal fin, with the rear part longer than the front part. Its eyes are close together on top of the head, which is very thick. The River Toad is brown and has a naked skin: meaning it has no scales. Its dark spots serve as camouflage. During the breeding season, the males turn completely black.

The River Toad is mainly found in freshwater that flows not too quickly and prefers shallow areas. It is a bottom fish that often hides in hollows under and between stones. River Toads are not very mobile fish and are also territorial. Therefore, they move very little within a watercourse. Individual animals are almost always found in the same places. They mainly eat insect larvae and small crustaceans, which they first sneak up on and then capture and swallow with a powerful forward movement of the mouth.

River Toads usually create their nests under a stone. The female lays around a hundred eggs, which the male guards and defends until the larvae hatch. The young disperse downstream after they leave the nest.

BibBeersel