Knife
Pelecus cultratus (Linnaeus, 1758)
The knife (Pelecus cultratus) is a bony fish in the family Cyprinidae, subfamily Leuciscinae, within the order Cypriniformes. Other English names for this fish are Ziege, Sichel, Razorfish and Sabrefish.
Quick facts about the knife
Its scientific name carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1758), and it is placed in the genus Pelecus. The IUCN Red List classifies the knife as Least Concern in its global assessment, which is not a threatened category.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- freshwater, riverinesrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the knife
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
Where does the knife live?
Not recorded
What is the knife?
Pelecus is a monospecific genus of freshwater and brackish water ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, which includes the daces, Eurasian minnows and related species. The only species in the genus is Pelecus cultratus, commonly known as the ziege, sichel, sabre carp or sabrefish, A fish found in Eastern Europe and adjacent Asian regions, inhabiting the lower reaches of rivers and brackish waters in the eastern Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Aral Sea basins. The ziege having no major threats, the IUCN lists it as being of Least Concern.
From the Wikipedia article “Pelecus” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pelecus&oldid=1369980202), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the knife endangered?
The knife is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the knife classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classTeleostei
- orderCypriniformes
- familyCyprinidae
- genusPelecus
- SpeciesPelecus cultratus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms Clupea ziga, Cyprinus cultratus, Pelecus cultratus hurensis, Pelecus cultratus kurensis, Salmo microps
Other names and names in other languages (46)
- RazorfishEnglish
- SabrefishEnglish
- SichelEnglish
- ZiegeEnglish
- Ҡылыс балыҡBashkir
- ЧахоньBelarusian
- СабицаBulgarian
- sabbitzaBulgarian
- sabitzaBulgarian
- sаbitsаBulgarian
- Pelecus cultratusCatalan
- ostrucha křivočaráCzech
- sabelkarpeDanish
- SäbelGerman
- DünnbauchGerman
- MesserfischGerman
- MesserkarpfGerman
- SichelfischGerman
- SichlingGerman
- ZiegeGerman
- pelecoSpanish
- NugakalaEstonian
- تیغماهیPersian
- miekkasärkiFinnish
- Pélèque sabreFrench
- gardaHungarian
- chekhonItalian
- ჩეხონიGeorgian
- ožkaLithuanian
- Paprastoji vandens ožkaLithuanian
- Vandens ožkaLithuanian
- KazeLatvian
- КыльчакMari
- ziegeDutch
- ciosaPolish
- sabitaRomanian
- чехоньRussian
- Чехонь обыкновеннаяRussian
- сабля-рыбаRussian
- šabľa krivočiaraSlovak
- sabljarkaSlovenian
- СабљаркаSerbian
- skärknivSwedish
- КәлчәкTatar
- ЧехоняUkrainian
- Чехоня звичайнаUkrainian
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistITISWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List
Relatives of the knife
Other species in the same genus Pelecus.
CompareKnife vs Pelecus flavipinnis
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the knife?
The knife is a bony fish in the family Cyprinidae, part of the order Cypriniformes.
What is the scientific name of the knife?
The scientific name of the knife is Pelecus cultratus, and it belongs to the genus Pelecus.
Is the knife endangered?
No. The IUCN Red List lists the knife as Least Concern in its global assessment, which is not a threatened category.
Who named Pelecus cultratus and when?
The scientific name Pelecus cultratus carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1758).
What other names does the knife have?
The knife is also called Ziege, Sichel, Razorfish and Sabrefish in English.
Which subfamily does the knife belong to?
The knife belongs to the subfamily Leuciscinae within the family Cyprinidae.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Knife (Pelecus cultratus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/knife
“Knife (Pelecus cultratus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/knife.
@misc{knife_2026,
title = {Knife (Pelecus cultratus)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/knife},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}