European mudminnow is the only European representative of the family Umbridae. It is small fish with the maximum size 90 mm, rarely 130 mm. It inhabits shallow, stagnant, or slightly flowing overgrown waters. It can breath the atmospheric oxygen using its swim bladder. In inhabits just a few waters in the Danube river basin, from Vienna to the mounth, and the lower parts of the rivers Dnestr and Prut. It is an European endemit.

Although in the past, the European mudminnow used to be very abundant in Slovakia. At present it is very scarce. In Slovakia, it occured in side arms of the rivers Laborec and Bodrog (East Slovakia), at Záhorie, and the large Danube island. The localities at Záhorie create the northern and western boundaries of its area of distribution. It is protected by law.

FDC: Northern pike.
Stamp: Mud loach.