Ruffe
Gymnocephalus cernua (Linnaeus, 1758)
The ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua), also called the Eurasian ruffe, is a bony fish in the family Percidae. It belongs to the subfamily Percinae, the suborder Percoidei and the order Perciformes, within the class Teleostei.
Quick facts about the ruffe
The species was named by (Linnaeus, 1758). The IUCN Red List assesses the ruffe globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- freshwatersrc 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 ruffe
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the ruffe live?
Not recorded
What is the ruffe?
The ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua), also known as the Eurasian ruffe or pope, is a freshwater fish found in temperate regions of Europe and northern Asia. It has been introduced into the Great Lakes of North America as an invasive species and is causing unfortunate results as it is reproducing faster than other species. Its common names are ambiguous – "ruffe" may refer to any local member of its genus Gymnocephalus, which as a whole is native to Eurasia.
From the Wikipedia article “Ruffe” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ruffe&oldid=1361060134), 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 ruffe endangered?
The ruffe 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 ruffe classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classTeleostei
- orderPerciformes
- familyPercidae
- genusGymnocephalus
- SpeciesGymnocephalus cernua (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms Acerina cernua, Acerina cernua danubica, Acerina cernua essipovi, Acerina cernus, Acerina cernus essipovi, Acerina czekanowskii, Acerina czekanowskü, Acerina fischeri, Acerina vulgaris, Acerinus cernus, Acerinus cernus essipovi, Cernua fluviatilis, Gymnocephalus cernua, Gymnocephalus cernus, Gymnocephalus cernuus, Holocentrus post, Perca cernua
Other names and names in other languages (18)
- Eurasian ruffeEnglish
- ježdík obecnýCzech
- crychynWelsh
- horkDanish
- Almindelig horkDanish
- KaulbarschGerman
- kiiskiFinnish
- cerneFrench
- acérineFrench
- grémeuilleFrench
- grémilleFrench
- greuilletFrench
- hérétiqueFrench
- perche à goujonFrench
- perche goujonnièreFrench
- posDutch
- jazgarzPolish
- gärsSwedish
Relatives of the ruffe
Other species in the same genus Gymnocephalus.
Striped ruffe
Gymnocephalus schraetser
Danube ruffe
Gymnocephalus baloni
Don ruffe
Gymnocephalus acerina
Ammer ruffe
Gymnocephalus ambriaelacus
CompareRuffe vs Striped ruffeRuffe vs Danube ruffeRuffe vs Don ruffeRuffe vs Ammer ruffe
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 ruffe?
The ruffe is a bony fish in the family Percidae and the order Perciformes.
What is the scientific name of the ruffe?
The scientific name of the ruffe is Gymnocephalus cernua, in the genus Gymnocephalus.
Who named the ruffe and when?
The ruffe's scientific name carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1758).
Is the ruffe endangered?
No. The IUCN Red List assesses the ruffe globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.
What is another name for the ruffe?
The ruffe is also called the Eurasian ruffe.
What subfamily does the ruffe belong to?
The ruffe belongs to the subfamily Percinae of the family Percidae.
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). Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/ruffe
“Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/ruffe.
@misc{ruffe_2026,
title = {Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/ruffe},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}