The Common Dace is a lively and active scaly fish that is also known as the Dare and the Dart. It is called the Dart because it can swim very fast. It is a freshwater fish that can be found throughout England in clean and deep fast-flowing rivers, like the River Hodder and the River Calder. It can also be found in brackish water. Brackish water is freshwater that meets with saltwater.

The Common Dace is about thirty to forty centimetres in length and weighs around one kilogramme. It has quite a pointed head, two large black eyes and a small mouth. Its head and back are a dusky blue colour and the sides have a silver sheen to them. The underside of this fish is white. It has a fin on its back called the ‘dorsal’ fin which is a whitish colour with a bluish tinge. It also has white ‘ventral’ fins and white ‘pectoral fins, but they are tinged with pale red. The ventral fins are on the underside of the fish near to the rear end and the pectoral fins are situated at the front of the body.

In the summer months Common Dace tend to eat near to the surface of the water where they can find mayflies, caddis flies and beetles. In winter they prefer to look for worms and snails near to the river bed. Sometimes they eat algae and water weeds. Common Dace swim in large groups called shoals.