fish id please

I was fishing last night on Pollen beach Co. Donegal when this fish was washed in on the surf .Any ideas as to what it is ? I think its a Bream of some kind but we don't see many up this way so i am unfamiliar with them.It was 39 cms from nose to tail. Any ideas lads?

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Hi

the shape would closely correspond to a blackspot sea bream but the colour is all wrong. Is it badly weathered or was it looking fresh?

FWIW

looks like a hybrid of a sole and a bream!!! but probably not :D

I would guess that it was dead no more than 48 hrs as it was'nt damaged by gulls or crabs wasn't smelly and the flesh was firm.I had a look on a fish id site and the closest i could find to it in general body shape was a dentex but probably not.

looks like a hybrid of a sole and a bream!!! but probably not :D

that sums it up well - thought sole straight away and then realised it was a round fish :!: :?: :!: :?:

The head look like a pomphret or from a pompano family.....not sure bout the body since its look shrinked cause its dead.....

allmost 100% sure it is a sole as i live in the uk and have caught quite a few,hope this help's.

TIGHTLINES :roll: :roll: :roll:

It's definately not a sole or any other type of flatfish as it does not have a blind side,it has one eye on each side and swam upright.

Drop Ilaria Corsica or Ed Farrell a line. Marine Biolgist types, might have a fairly good database

[eric]

i think it is a blackfish also known a rudder fish(centrolophus niger) deep water fish with a range(Europe) that stretches from north Scotland to the Mediterranean, associated with the upper shelves , mainly feeds on jellyfish and squid and can grow to over 150cm long.

Last edited by eric on Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Eric gets top marks !!! :P :P :P

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Cheers Eric 8) thats the fish allright,Interesting that they feed on jellyfish as the beach was littered with thousands on jellyfish about 1inch across.

hmmmm, 150 cm eh? Look at the body shape and tail construction on that fish. I bet it goes like stink when hooked!

I think it would take more than bait elastic to keep jellyfish on a hook!

Did you keep the fish jonboy?

I would agree with eric...

Yes Ilaria the fish is in the freezer as i didn't expect it to be identified so quickly.

Horrible lookin fish, if there was ever such a thing as a mutant bass it would probly look like that!

Talked to the mate Declan Quigley(this man knows more about fish than anybody i've ever spoke too) and he thinks its a Cornish Blackfish. Here is his response:

Jonboy's specimen looks more like a Cornish Blackfish (Schedophilus medusophagus) rather than Centrolophus niger to me. The former species is very flat (laterally compressed; body depth >30% SL) and flabby compared to the latter which is more solid and fusiform/rounded (body depth <30% SL) [Paul B's specimen actually looks more like C. niger].The dorsal fin of S. medusophagus extends beyond the origin of the pectoral and falls short of it in C. niger (however this is not clear from the photos). Both species are relatively common in deep mesopelagic waters (beyond the 200m contour) and are frequently landed with blue whiting into Killybegs.

Best Regards,

Declan

Quigley, D.T.G. (1984) Blackfishes in Irish waters Field & Countryside

Quigley, D.T.G. (1986) Blackfish Centrolophus niger (Gmelin, 1789) (C. pompilus Cuv. & Val.) in Irish waters: a further record and review of the Irish records. Ir. Nat. J. 22: 97-101.

Quigley, D.T.G. & Flannery, K. (1989) Fish notes: Blackfish Centrolophus niger (Gmelin). Ir. Nat. J. 23: 115-117.

Quigley, D.T.G., Flannery, K. & O'Shea, J. (1997) Fish Note: Blackfish Centrolophus niger (Gmelin 1789). Ir. Nat. J. 25: 457.

Wheeler, A.C., Merrett, N.R. & Quigley, D.T.G. (2004) Additional records and notes for Wheeler’s (1992) “List of the Common and Scientific Names of Fishes of the British Isles” J. Fish Biol. 65 (Supplement B): 1-40.

im not sure the Cornish-barrel fish (schedophilus medusophagus) appears to a completely different shape and colour,their range doesnt go as far a donegal either, but who am i to say that, your mats written books on them. :shock:

Hello Pete on closer inspection Declan Quigley would appear to be correct as the dorsal fin originates very close to the head just about the root of the pectoral fin.
I found this picture of a Cornish Blackfish on FishBase.the two species are very similar though.

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