Alburnus alburnus reaches a body length of up to 20 cm. The back is bluish to greenish in color, while the belly shimmers silvery (Schaefer 2018). The body is elongated and laterally compressed. The bleak forms smaller to larger schools and occurs in both flowing and stagnant waters. The spawning period begins in April and lasts until June, during which very large schools are formed. The eggs are laid on the bottom of the water or on aquatic plants (Grzimek 1980).

Diet: Alburnus alburnus primarily feeds on insects and plankton (Grzimek 1980).

Conservation status: The bleak is classified as “not endangered” in both the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the Red List of Germany.