Zander (b).
Zander
Fiona Joy
2025
Air drying clay, watercolour and gouache
The Zander is the last fish on the Hull Fish Trail. British Waterways class it as an invasive species and include it in the “dirty dozen” of non-native species. Zanders caught by anglers in the UK must be destroyed.
With so many endangered species it is hard to care much about the carnivorous and thriving Zander, but it’s really just another creature trying to survive in what is an increasingly hostile world for all of us.
In my efforts to portray the Zander I was inspired by a Grecian urn from the Sirens exhibition at the Ferens art gallery and also by fish fossils.
This is the first time I have used air-drying clay and I found it quite a challenge. I started by producing a watercolour sketch to experiment with colours and patterns, then produced the tile using a simplified design.
Artist: Fiona Joy
Fish Profile:
Zander - Sander lucioperca also known as sander or pikeperch.
Conservation status
Zander is the largest member of the Percidae family (which also includes Perch). It is a species of ray finned fish found in fresh and brackish water.
According to the IUCN pikeperch are abundant and widespread with a stable population. It is listed as of Least Concern as no major threats have been identified although overfishing is a concern in some areas.