Order:	Gadiformes
Family:	Gadidae
Genus and species:	Lota lota

William Yarrell (1836) in "A History of British Fishes":

THE BURBOT.

EELPOUT. BURBOLT.

Lota	vulgaris,	Burbot,	Jenyns, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 448, sp. 134.
"	"	Cuvier, Règne An. t. ii. p. 334.
"	"	Willughby, 125.
Gadus	lota	Linnæus. Bloch, Pt. ii. pl. 70.
"	"	Burbot	Penn. Brit. Zool. p. 265.
"	"	"	Don. Brit. Fish. pl. 92.
Molva,	"	"	Flem. Brit. An. p. 192, sp. 83.

THE BURBOT is the only British species of this numerous family of fishes that lives permanently in fresh water, and prefers in this country slow running rivers ; but is neither so generally known, nor so much esteemed and encouraged, as from the goodness of its flesh it deserves. It is said to be found in various parts of the North of Europe, Siberia, Asia, and India. In this country it is rather local. It occurs in the Cam, and in some of the rivers of Norfolk and Lincolnshire. The Trent produces it, and Nottingham market is occasionally supplied with examples for sale. The Tame is said to contain the Burbot, and so also do several rivers in the counties of Yorkshire and Durham ; as the Ouse, the Esk, the Skern, near Mainsforth, which afterwards runs into the Tees near Croft Bridge, and the Derwent.
The Burbot is not unlike the Eel in some of its habits, concealing itself under stones, waiting and watching for its prey, consisting of aquatic insects and young fish, under arches and near eddies, into which such small and weak animals are likely to be brought by the current of the water. It feeds principally during the night ; and, like the Eel, is most frequently caught by trimmers and night-lines.
The Burbot is sometimes called Coney-fish, from its habit of lurking and hiding itself in holes like a rabbit.
It spawns in February or March; is very tenacious of life, and is said to have lived a considerable time in a damp and cold situation, fed on small fishes and raw meat. In this country it has been known to attain the weight of four pounds and a half ; but a more common size is about two pounds' weight. Pennant mentions one taken in the Trent which weighed eight pounds. In the Lake of Geneva, into which it is stated the Burbot was introduced from Neufchatel, it has been taken of seven pounds' weight. The flesh is white, firm, and of good flavour, by some considered superior to that of the Eel ; and as the Burbot is in its nature extremely hardy, few difficulties present themselves in the way of their increase in quantity, while the value of the fish would amply repay the trouble or the cost of the experiment. It would probably thrive well and multiply in large lakes.
Length from one to two feet: the head depressed, smooth; jaws equal; chin with one barbule ; the gape large, with small teeth above and below ; eyes of moderate size ; gill-opening large : the length of the head compared to that of the body as one to four : the form of the body cylindrical, compressed posteriorly. The first dorsal fin is small and rounded ; the second elongated, reaching nearly to the tail ; both dorsal fins nearly uniform in height : ventral fins placed very forward, narrow and pointed ; the pectoral fins large and rounded; the anal fin begins on a line behind the commencement of the second dorsal fin, but ends very nearly on the same plane : the tail oval, and slightly pointed. The fin-rays in number are -

D. 14. 68. : P. 20 : V. 6 : A. 67 : C. 36.

The colour of the body yellowish brown, clouded and spotted with darker brown, and covered with a mucous secretion ; the under parts lighter : the lateral line indistinct and straight ; scales small ; the fins partaking of the colour of the part of the body from which they emanate, those of the lower surface being much the lightest.

Frank Buckland (1880) in "Natural History of British Fishes":

BURBOLT.

(Lota vulgaris. Gadus lota.)

Local names : Blob-kite, Burbolt, Cony-fish, Eel-pout. French: Lotte. German : Quappaal, Aalquappe. Polish: Mietuz. Danish: Kvabbe. Italian: Botatrice.

IN this country the Burbolt is local, being not uncommon in the Trent, especially about Nottingham and Gainsborough, and Cambridgeshire. It is found in the rivers of Yorkshire, Durham, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Cambridgeshire, and the Swale in Yorkshire.
We Londoners very seldom see or hear of a burbolt, and they are such a stupid and ugly fish that I cannot advise trouble to be taken with their dissemination, though doubtless they would thrive in of our ponds and lakes.
Burbolt are very numerous in the Lake of Neuchâtel. They are a nocturnal fish, in the day hiding themselves under the stones or in the mud. They do not seem to have many enemies, as they are never found in the stomachs of carnivorous fish. They spawn in the deepest holes in the lake -- 480 to 540 feet. Their spawning time is from the end of January to the beginning of March. During their spawning time the fishermen are allowed by law to fish for them and catch them by means of apparatus called berfoux. The reason why this is allowed is because the burbolts are so very destructive to the eggs of all other fish in the lake, especially perch. Burbolt stands frost well, and after having been frozen quite stiff will revive. They eat an enormous quantity of fry ; they swim after the fashion of eels. They leave the lake for the rivers at night. About ten o'clock they ascend the rivers, and return again about two o'clock. This has been observed by the fishermen. No explanation of the fact is known. Night-lines are laid for burbolts in the lake ; trammel-nets are also used for them, especially at the time when they are feeding on young perch. The flesh is said to be good, especially the liver when fried, but it is indigestible.

Alwyne Wheeler (1969) in "The Fishes of the British Isles and North West Europe":

Burbot

Lota lota (Linnaeus, 1758)

NAMES Fr. Lotte; Du. Kwabaal; Ge. Aalquappe; Quappe; Da. Kvabbe, Knude; Nor. Lake.

IDENTIFICATION It has two dorsal fins, the first short based but with normal rays as high as the second dorsal. The barbel on the lower jaw is long, and a raised rim on the anterior nostrils appears to form a short barbel. The jaw extends to the level of the hind edge of the eye. The scales are extremely small and deeply embedded. The pelvic fin rays are separated at their tips from the membrane, and the first and second rays are somewhat elongate. Colour variable, usually a dull greeny brown, with dark mottling, not distinctly patterned except in the young which are boldly marked; light ventrally. Grows to 39 in (99 cm), usually between 18 and 24 in (46-61 cm).
ID. 11-14; 2D. 68-85; A.63-82; vertebrae 59-63.

BIOLOGY This is the only gadoid living entirely in fresh water. It is rare in English rivers, and probably extinct in rivers where once it was found more or less commonly. It is found also in brackish waters on the European mainland. It lives generally on the bottom of clear rivers and lakes, under rocks or obstructions, or in holes in banks. The young are found in weed beds and under rocks. Both young and adults are mainly nocturnal.
Breeding takes place in winter from December to March, and several spawnings take place during the period. Fecundity is very high, and large fish may contain three million eggs. Small shoals of up to twenty fish gather for spawning, which usually takes place in moderately shallow water over gravel or small stones. The eggs are benthic, falling to the bottom after fertilisation. The growth varies with the locality. One year old barbot measure 6-6¼ in (15-16 cm) on average, two year old fish 8½-9 in (22-3 cm), and at maturity in their third year, usually 12¾-13½ in (32-4 cm). The usual life span appears to be seven years, and the normal length up to 22 in (56 cm).
The young fish feed chiefly on invertebrates, including leeches, Asellus, small crayfish, and the larvae or nymphs of most insects, including Zygoptera, Trichoptera and chironomids. Larger burbot feed on fish (perch, ruffe, gudgeon and bullhead) as well as crayfish and some insects. The winter diet is mainly invertebrate. Most of the animals eaten are the typical fauna in the habitat of this species so it hardly competes with other freshwater fish. Lake-dwelling burbot grow larger and have more restricted diets than the river populations.
In America and on the European mainland it is occasionally caught by the angler. Its status in British waters is not clear. Records available suggest that it is very much more rare than it was formerly, but there is little objective evidence at hand to indicate its abundance in previous centuries. The lack of reliable records in the last twenty years suggests that it may now be extinct in England.
Its flesh is said to be good eating, and the liver is as rich in vitamin A as that of the cod. Despite this, the burbot is very little exploited even where still common.

DISTRIBUTION

Also Asia, and in northern America two subspecies.