Difference between white bream and bream

During our vacation in Sweden in 2025, my son and I caught two carp-like fish with worms and floats, one about 20 cm long and the other about 40 cm long. It quickly became clear that they must have been either white bream (Blicca bjoerkna) or bream (Abramis brama).

I consulted the internet to determine the exact species. The result: both fish are bream, just of different ages and sizes.

However, since white bream and bream can easily be confused at first glance, I would like to note the most important similarities and differences here. A clear photo of a white bream can be found, for example, here.

Comparison

Bream and white bream have a lot in common. Both belong to the large family of carp fish (Cyprinidae) and are typical bottom dwellers. This means that they search for food mainly in the mud, digging through the bottom with their underslung mouths. Their preferred habitats are large lakes and slow-flowing rivers, where they can often be found swimming together in schools. Both species are familiar companions to anglers, even if they are not the most sought-after fish for culinary purposes. The most important distinguishing features are listed here:

Feature	Bream	White bream
Final size	Larger (up to 60-70 cm)	Smaller (up to 35-40 cm)
Colouring	Older fish are golden-brownish	Silvery-bluish
Mouth	Mouth can be protruded into a snout, pointing strongly downward	Snout-like mouth not as pronounced, pointing more forward
Eyes	Smaller in relation to the head, distance between eye and mouth is greater	Significantly larger in relation to the head, distance between eye and mouth is smaller.

Conclusion

Both fish from our vacation were bream, but they were different sizes and ages. It takes a trained eye to tell them apart from white bream, but with a few characteristics such as mouth shape and eye size, identification is quite reliable.