A Zander grows up to 2 feet (60 cm) long and weighs up to 16 ½ pounds (7.5 kg.) It has a greyish-green back and white skin on its belly, and a very large mouth with fangs for attacking prey (though the mouth is not as large as that of a Pike.) They swallow their prey head or tail first.
A female can lay up to 2 million eggs a year in pale yellow clumps on waterbed or on plants. The male guards the eggs for the 5 to 10 days that it will take them to hatch.
When young, zander will hunt their prey collectively in schools; when older it hunts and lives on its own. They have very good eyesight and often hunt at night or in muddy waters.
A zander has lean, firm, white, delicate flesh, with less bone than Pike. Many consider it quite tasty.
Cooking Tips
Zander is usually steamed or broiled. In Bavaria, it is sometimes cooked in a mustard crust.
History Notes
Zander is native to Eastern Europe though was introduced into England in 1878 and into the Ouse River in East Anglia in 1963. It has been such a successful predator that efforts to control it are now underway.
Language Notes
Many Fishermen in England call the Zander “Zeds” . It is also known as “Pike-Perch”.