Kutum


Kutum

 

(Rutilus frisii kutum), a fish of the family Cyprinidae; a subspecies of the vyrezub. Length, up to 60 cm; weight, about 2 kg. It is found in the Caspian Sea, mainly in the southern part. The kutum is anadromous. It attains sexual maturity in the fourth year of life. It spawns in the spring, ascending primarily the Kura, Araks, and other rivers that empty into the southern part of the Caspian Sea. A smaller number of these fish go to the Terek and Volga rivers to spawn. The kutum feeds mainly on mollusks. It is commercially valuable. Its numbers are decreasing.