Fishy Facts

Dabs live on sandy ground from 2 to 40m down in coastal waters but move to deeper waters in winter. They feed on molluscs, worms, shrimps, starfish and other small fish and usually attain weights 0.5kg to 1kg, and can measure up to 30cm. Dabs are a right-handed flat fish - that is, they lie with their left side uppermost with the eyes to the left of the mouth. The eye side of the dab is a warm, sandy-brown colour, freckled with darker spots, while the underside or 'blind-side' is white. Scaled on both sides, the scales on the eye side are fringed in spiny edges.

Locations:

Keel, Keem

Latin:

Limanda limanda

Irish:

Daba

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - Zauke, Gerd-Peter - 26.02.03

The cuckoo wrasse favours slightly deeper water to their cousin, the ballan wrasse and do not venture into shallow inshore waters. They also feed on crustaceans and shellfish and they grow to approximately 30cm and weigh 1.5kg. It has a much more slime line body compared to the ballan wrasse and its colouring is much more flamboyant. Sexes differ in colouring; the mature male has a blue head and an orange body, adorned with blue stripes and mottled patterns along the length of its flanks and the edges of its fins.

Locations:

Alennaun, Carraig Mór, Purteen

Latin:

Labrus mixtus

Irish:

An ballach muire

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - Patzner, Robert A. - 08.03.99

Like it cousins, the ballan and cuckoo wrasse, the corkwing wrasse is found in inshore, shallow waters, where it feeds on molluscs and crustaceans. At 15cm, it is the smallest of the 3 wrasses found in our waters. They are brown/green in colour and the male is additionally adorned with bright green and gold wavy lines along the length of its body. With a single dorsal fin, the corkwing's one distinguishing feature is a distinct black spot on the wrist of the tail, absent in the ballan and cuckoo wrasse.

Locations:

Alennaun, Carraig Mór, Purteen

Latin:

Symphodus (Crenilabrus) melops

Irish:

An bochar

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - Jensen, Johnny - 08.06.01

Conger eels favour very rough environments and inhabit rocky reefs and broken ground. They are found in both deep waters - down to depths of 60m - and shallower waters, near to the low water line. Those found in shallower waters are nocturnal feeders while those in deeper waters feed at any time. Depending on their size and habitat, conger eels feed on crabs, worms and other fish, such as mackerel, whiting, pouting and Pollack. They are an aggressive ambush type predator, often lying in hiding before pouncing on their prey. Conger eels vary greatly in colour. Shallow water dwellers tend to have a dull, matt brown upper side, paling to a creamy white underbelly, while those in deeper waters are black in colour, again with a paler underbelly. Ferocious looking with a huge mouth, powerful jaws and jagged teeth, conger eels will attack humans, often inflicting serious injuries on their victims.

Locations:

Alennaun, Carraig Mór, Dugort, Keem, Purteen

Latin:

Conger conger

Irish:

Eascann choncair

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - Camrrubi, Jean-François - 05.02.07

A deep water, shoal forming fish found at depths between 20 and 200m, the cod is a bottom dweller, feeding on molluscs, crustaceans and other fish. It will also swim to midwater or to the surface to hunt herring. One of our most commercially valuable white fish, the cod can achieve weights in excess of 15kg and lengths in excess of 1m. Its liver is a rich source of vitamin A and is sold commercially as 'cod liver oil'. The upper back is brown to green in colour, speckled with darker spots, paling to a silvery white underbelly.

Locations:

Achill Head, Bill's Rock, Cloughmore, Dooagh, The Dysaghy’s

Latin:

Gadus morhua

Irish:

Trosc

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - Salesjö, Anders - 23.04.08

Very common in our waters and quite good to eat, coalfish are found at depths down to 140m, living among heavy weed cover, making it difficult for them to be netted. On the seabed, they feed on crustaceans and marine worms. In winter, they move to shallower waters. They measure between ½ to 1m and can weigh up to 10kg. Coalfish have a streamlined body with an olive green or brown to black back with a distinct white lateral line. The flanks and underbelly are white to silver.

Locations:

Achill Head, Bill's Rock, Cloughmore, Dooagh, Dooega

Latin:

Pollachius viren

Irish:

Glasán

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - alesjö, Anders - 23.04.08

Butterfish are mostly found in shallow, inter-tidal waters, especially in summer. They move to deeper waters in winter. Feeding on sea slater, small hermit crabs, shellfish and marine worms, butterfish normally weigh approximately 50g and measure up to 25cm. Butterfish are small, slender, eel like in appearance with a scaleless, slimy body - hence its name. Usually mottled brown to tan with a distinct series of black spots circled in white running along the top of the body. Butterfish are not caught for human consumption.

Locations:

Alennaun, Carraig Mór

Latin:

Pholis gunnellus

Irish:

An Sleamhnóg airgid

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - Norén, Michael - 30.01.05

Inhabiting a range of habitats, the brown crab can be found in shallow, rocky pools along the seashore and down to depths of 200m, in sandy gravel bottoms or in rocky reefs. Feeding on other, smaller crustaceans and molluscs, or shellfish, they can grow to 25cm in diameter and reach 3kg in weight. A robust crab possessing an oval shaped carapace or 'shell' which is reddish brown in colour on the upper side and a pale, creamy yellow underneath. The carapace has a distinctive 'pie-crust' edging and it has two black tipped front claws or pincers, which it uses for fighting and feeding.As they have a hard exoskeleton, all crabs can only grow by shedding or casting their outer shell, a process called moulting. They then puff themselves up with water before a new exoskeleton develops. If the brown crab loses a claw, it can grow another. Of huge commercial value, approximately 60,000 tonnes of brown crab is caught annually around the British Isles.

Locations:

All around Achill

Latin:

Cancer pagurus

Irish:

Portán dearg

Photo source: http://www.marlin.ac.uk/ - Sue Scott

Brill are left-handed flatfish - i.e. they lie with the left side uppermost and their eyes are to the right of the mouth. Usually found on sandy ground in shallow water down to 70m. Feeding on other, smaller fish, brill average between 40 to 75cm and can weigh up to 3kg. Brill have slender, brownish bodies and are scaled on both sides. Covered with lighter and darker coloured flecks, with a cream coloured or pinkish white underbelly, the brill, like other flatfish, has the ability to camouflage itself by changing its colour to match its surroundings. Brill are regarded as one of the best flavoured fish caught off our waters and are therefore, highly commercial.

Locations:

Keel, Keem

Latin:

Scophthalmus rhombus

Irish:

Broit

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - Walter, Thorsten - 19.12.03

An intertidal fish found in rocky pools, it is equipped with powerful jaws enabling it to crush barnacles, its main diet. It is approximately 100g in weight and 20cm in length. It can survive completely out of water for many hours; indeed they can be seen crawling across the seashore using their well-developed pectoral fins, hence the common name 'sea frog'. It has a smooth, slimy body with a continuous fin along its back with a noticeable notch in the middle. Its eyes are high on the head in order for it to see birds or other predators when it is out of water. Its back is dark brownish grey, interspersed with irregular patches of other colours. The underside is a pale cream to white.

Locations:

All around Achill

Latin:

Lipophrys pholis

Irish:

An ceannruán

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - Juancar Dieguez - 17-07-2012, 00

The Ballan Wrasse in an inshore fish, found in shallow waters at depths between 1-20m, among rocks, seaweed and reefs. Feeding on shellfish, crustaceans and occasionally small fish, they average 1.4kg in weight and 30cm in length. With a broad body and large scales, it is stoutly built fish. It has a continuous dorsal or back fin and a rounded tail. Its colouration varies; the upper back ranges in colour from brown to dark green, speckled with lighter spots while the underside pales to a whitish hue. It has a relatively small mouth, prominent lips, powerful teeth and jaws, all adapted to rip shellfish from submerged rocks and cliff faces.

Locations:

Carraig Mór, Cloughmore, Dooagh, Dooega, Purteen

Latin:

Labrus bergylta

Irish:

An ballach breac

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - Jensen, Johnny - 28.01.02

Renowned as the ugliest fish on Earth, the Angler fish, also known as the monkfish is a lone, bottom dweller, living up to a mile under the surface on a sandy base. A poor swimmer, its fins have evolved to act like 'feet', enabling it to 'walk' on the sea-bed. They are usually the bycatch of trawling for other fish.They feed on cod, mackerel, herring and sand-eels, swallowing its prey whole. Occasionally they come to the surface.The anterior of its huge, flat, broad head is encircled by a large mouth, armed with rows of long, pointed, inwardly inclined teeth. Its head and body is adorned with long, seaweed like filaments. This, coupled with its ability to change colour, provides excellent camouflage. With a chocolate-brown back and a whitish belly, weights average 7kg and measure up to 100cm. Only the tail meat is consumed.

Locations:

Achill Head, Bill's Rock

Latin:

Lophius piscatorius

Irish:

Bráthair

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - Svensen, Rudolf - 27.03.02

Herring are a migratory species found in shallow waters. They form large shoals and swim to the surface to hunt for plankton during the night, returning to deeper waters during the day. The best season to find herring in our waters is Autumn.

Locations:

Dugort, Keem

Latin:

Clupea harengus

Irish:

Scadán

Photo source: www.fishbase.org - Flescher, Don - 25.09.97