Lake Van Pearl Fish

Van Lake Pearl Roach is an endemic fish species found naturally only in the Van Lake basin. This species, scientifically named Alburnus tarichi, belongs to the Cyprinidae (carp family) and has been registered with a “Geographical Indication” by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office.

Product Description and Distinctive Characteristics

The Van Lake Pearl Roach is a fish with a fusiform (spindle-shaped), slender and elongated body, a scaleless head, and a body covered with small cycloid scales. Its coloration is grayish-green on the back and silvery-white on the sides and belly. It can live up to seven years and feeds on planktonic organisms. Since it cannot reproduce in the lake itself, it migrates into rivers flowing into Van Lake between April and July.

Distinctive Characteristics

• Endemic nature
• Adaptation to saline and soda lake water
• Migration to rivers during spawning season
• Fin morphology, scaled body structure, and vertebral count (40–41)
• One of the highest known tolerances to osmotic stress (550 mOsm/kg)

Physical Appearance

• Body length is approximately 4.6–5.4 times the head height
• Scales: 60–90
• Gill rakers: 14–27

Pearl Roach (Turkish Patent)

Production Method

The Van Lake Pearl Roach is caught exclusively in the Van Lake basin using extended nets. Fishing activities are conducted in accordance with Law No. 1380 on Aquatic Products and related regulations. Fishing is prohibited between 15 April and 15 July.

Fishing Process

• During summer months, extended nets are positioned near the surface to target fish feeding at a depth of 20 meters at night.
• During winter months, when the thermal layer dissipates, nets are placed on the lake bottom.
• Captured fish are consumed fresh, dried, or fried.

Composition Characteristics

Chemical Composition (min.–max.)

• Water: 72.40% – 74.63%
• Fat: 1.00% – 3.00%
• Protein: 16.70% – 20.50%
• pH: 6.39 – 6.60

Fatty Acids (%)

• 16:0: 5.69 – 13.03
• 18:2 (n-6): 9.02 – 24.61
• 22:6 (n-3): 5.74 – 18.03

Mineral Content (mg/100 g)

• Calcium: 46.32 – 104.61
• Iron: 0.17 – 6.019
• Magnesium: 5.144 – 7.834

Van Lake Pearl Roach (AA)

Geographical Boundary and Control

The Van Lake Pearl Roach can be caught only within the Van Lake Basin. The geographical boundary encompasses the lake’s shoreline and all freshwater sources flowing into the lake. The fish’s exclusive ability to reproduce within this area, along with its adaptation processes and physiological traits, establishes a direct link between the product and its geographical origin.