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The burbot is a member of the Gadidae or codfish family that has gone from living in seawater to fresh waters; it prefers well oxygenated, clean and cool waters. In Estonia burbot is found in about a hundred lakes and rivers and brackishwater sea bays.

 

The burbot has a long, supple body with small scales that are placed in the skin and it is covered in slippery slime. It has a broad, flat head; on the lower jaw is a short barbel typical for the codfish, its eyes are compratively large. It looks as if the body were half tail, the first dorsal fin is short, the second is long, reaching to the tail (caudal) fin as does the anal fin. The colour of the back varies from yellow to dark brown and is mottled; the sides are mottled too, the belly white.

 

It becomes sexually mature at 3-5 years old and is then 30 – 50 centimetres long. The burbots of Lake Peipus start spawning in the beginning of January and the mating period lasts up to 7 weeks. The spawning areas are on gravelly or sandy bottoms, with moving water, but the water depth can be very varying. In rivers the spawning should be in progress now, in lakes it usually comes somewhat later.

 

Typically for codfish the roe is very fine-grained and there is much of it. The eggs hatch in about  three months.