Can Anyone Say What This Fish Is

[kerrywez]

Hi all,
This fish is one of many, many tonnes landed in Dingle recently and though I have searched the net for ages I cannot find a fish which looks the same. The fish were being landed from both Irish and Spanish trawlers and set of to Spain as soon as was possible.

The fish looks like bottom fish and seems to be from great depth, going by the size of it's eyes. It's upper pectoral fins are on level with it's eye and the lower ones are developed into very thin appendices which I would imagine are for feeling about on the bottom, presumably for food. The tail has been reported as being like that of a Ling. All the fish are around the 18 to 24 inch range and have no teeth at the front of their mouths, they are slim fish and have a dorsal fin which is long and about 1 inch high and there is a small front dorsal fin. I have never seem any fish like these before and don't suppose many anglers will have done either. The flesh of the fish has been reported as being fine and has a very nice flavour. I should add that the fish, like them all has been gutted.

The fish was taken to a fish monger in Tralee and the person who took it to him was told in no uncertained terms that it was an Atlantic Bass and a protected species, so much for them knowing what fish are.

I hope someone will be able to tell me what this fish is and some more about it. I should think that there is no limit on the amount of these fish which can be landed and the boats are making hay while the sun shines. Thanks for any information that might be forthcoming and for taking the time to read this.

Best regards Wez

Just thought that this might be better in the Boat section, if some Mod would please move it if they deem that it is in the wrong section, thanks. Wez

[youngrod]

looks them wreckfish in the aquimium in dingle

[kerrywez]

looks them wreckfish in the aquimium in dingle

Thanks for your reply, but that wreckfish does not have the adapted lower pectoral fins and the upper pectoral fin is not in a line with the eye, though I have to say that the colour is similar and so is the eye size.

You have, however, given me an idea and I shall contact Dingle Aquarium and have them look at it and hopefully I will be able to report back with an identity for the fish, when they have replied to me.

Thanks again and very best regards Wez

[shamieboy]

hi wez looks like a greater forkbeard. the description is in keeping with this type of fish.they are fished commercialy and the market for them is spain and greater med area,where they are predominantly used for fish meal. they grow to just over a mtr in length and usually live at depths between 500 and a thousand feet

[kerrywez]

Hi shamieboy,
I think that you have it the nail on the head mate, I have sent a mil with the pics attached, to Dingle Aquarium and they should know for sure, but I have to say that I fully agree with you that this is the same fish, having looked for and found a Pic of one on the net, which I have attached to this post.

Thanks and your information about the fish and it's habitat and the use they put it to.

Very best regards Wez

[kerrywez]

I have done a bit of reading about these fish and it would appear that they are 15th on the do not eat list. They are on this list not because they taste bad or would poison you, but because they are from what is considered to be a very unsustainable fishery, as all deep water fisheries are considered to be. Yet BIM are actively encouraging the boats to go out after them and all other deep water fish. There is no regulation on these, or any other, deep water fish. A 14 year old female Greater Forkbeard was less than 1 meter and a 6 year old male was less than 16 inches, that should be telling them something but they do not care, they will fish them till there are only a few left and then say they need to be protected. Just thought that some of you would like to know what our great sea fisheries board are doing, not that many will be surprised by the revelation.

Best regards Wez

[corbyeire]

have to say i agree with you about the deep water species - nothing is known about their life cycles or at best very little

the stance of BIM doesnt surprise me - i could tell you some stories about orange roughy "research"

[kerrywez]

have to say i agree with you about the deep water species - nothing is known about their life cycles or at best very little

the stance of BIM doesnt surprise me - i could tell you some stories about orange roughy "research"

I know what you mean I was in Fenit one day, about 6/7 years ago, and there was a big trawler landing loads of boxes of them. There were men there from BIM and they were being very vague about the fish, all I could get from then was that they were a fish from very deep water and that BIM were testing the viability of fishing for them. I thought they looked very exotic and did my own research and found out that they were Orange Roughy, but they have not stopped there and are after everything that has fins.

Best regards Wez

[kerrywez]

Just thought that some of you might be interested in this information, hope it prompts bit of discussion, you will find most of these fish are ones which are being fished by our boats, with the blessing of BIM, see here http://www.fishonline.org/advice/avoid/?item=15

Regards Wez