The huchen is restricted to the Danube River drainage and the taimen to the Ural-Siberian-Amur drainages, most of which flow into the Arctic Ocean. Range of the huchen and taimen are disjunct (do not overlap) and are separated by the Eastern European Flatland.

The taimen inhabits large rivers with fast currents, often to their estuaries. It also occurs in lakes. In spring, it ascends the rivers and enters shallow creeks, spawning in May.

They probably attain the largest sizes of any salmonid fish. A report exists of a 231 lb. specimen taken in a commercial net in 1943, but the largest authenticated record is 123 lb. (55.8 kg), slightly less than a commercially caught 126 lb. (57.2 kg) Chinook salmon.

Physically, they resemble a northern pike. The body is round and elongated and the head flattened with an enormous terminal mouth. Like huchen, taimen are specked with dark spots over the entire body, predominating on the upper portions, including the head and fins. The tail and anal fins are a crimson red. During the spawning period, almost all the body becomes copper-red.

Taimen fishing is similar to that of huchen, flies, plugs, large spoons, and spinners are all highly effective, and of coarse, any live bait should be productive. The voracious taimen reportedly will strike at anything resembling wounded prey. Just as large prey are sought by large fish, lure size should match the size of fish sought by the angler, monster fish require monster fish require monster baits!

While huchen populations have diminished rapidly with over-exploitation and habit deterioration, taimen are just emerging as a popular sportfish. hopefully, with due care from concerned anglers, the taimen population will not suffer the same fate.