Whats this then??

[mark]

any ideas??


not often I see these either - corkwing or cuckoo??

[TC]

OK then......ready to be shot down in flames here........

Top pic: I\'d say 3 bearded rockling

Bottom pic: NOT Corkwing - there\'s no black spot at the base of the tail and there doesn\'t seem to be any lateral banding.

Possibly a female Cuckoo:- can\'t see in the pic if it has the 3 dark spots near the end of the dorsal fin.

Right......go-on, then............somebody tell me just HOW wrong I am.....lol

[mark]

3 bearded rockling?? Now I thought that, but, assuming the name \'bearded\' indicated the barbles point downwards, and I\'ve caught rocklings from blyth pier that do that, these pointed upwards and it only had 2, equally spaced across its snout. I suppose it might have lost 1 whilst shaving!

[TC]

Multiple \"bearded\" rocklings seem to have only 1 downward pointing barbel - the rest are on the snout.

3 beards - 2 on snout - 1 on \"chin\"
4 beards - 3 on snout - 1 on \"chin\"
5 beards - 4 on snout - 1 on \"chin\"

I think the 3 bearded variety is the only one to have a mottled or spotted colouring aswell (?)

Just to confuse things further......the Shore Rockling also has 3 barbels (2up / 1 down - so to speak). however, it doesn\'t grow as big as the 3 Bearded and it a uniform dark brown colour.


[Edited on 5/9/2004 by TC]

[peter.m]

Was going to say some sort of Rockling but Tony went into detail.

Saw the wrasse on the pics earlier and wondered if it was a cuckoo but as I\'ve only ever seen them in pictures or an aquarium I won\'t try and be smart.

Good hols though, not like me trying to paint in the rain!!!

[willywetegg]

I would also say \" A Rockling \" but same as you Mark not sure which one. Would not dissagree with Tony but I have never seen one like that.

Jim.

[TC]

I\'ve caught many Rocklings with 3 beards and had assumed that because they were Rockings with 3 beards that they were \"3 Bearded Rocklings\".........seems logical........BUT......they didn\'t have the colouration shown in Marks photo........time for some diggin\'.......

That\'s when I discovered that the Shore Rockling (although just being a plain, dark brown), also has 3 barbels. SO THAT\'S the one\'s I\'d been catching.

The real 3 Bearded Rocklings have a mottled colouration and grow to 50cm / 20 inches (much bigger than any I\'d caught, and a totally different colour).



Like Manuel in Fawlty Towers.....\"I learn it from a book\"........lol

As far as the Wrass goes........just guessing :P




[Edited on 6/9/2004 by TC]

[spanner]

I think the wrasse is a Rock Cook.

[TC]

Think you might have cracked it, Spanner

http://www.banstead-divers.co.uk/rb005.htm

[Edited on 6/9/2004 by TC]

[mark]

just did a bit off googling for rock cook and a few sites reckon they are quite rare. Now theres a first for me. catching something thats rare, as opposed to being rare that I catch anything!

the other could be a rockling but it was much redder than any I\'ve seen before. Redder than the pic shows true really. When it first came over the side I thought it was a massive(!) butterfish, with the red colour and the spots and all that, but I suppose if its been hanging out in the kelp alot, that might explain it. If cod and pollack can gan red why not a rockling. Size wise about 14\" long and maybe 3/4 of a pound, maybe a bit more, but definately only 2 barbles pointing up. Just checked the high res version of the pic to see if I can see a third one but can\'t spot one.

[TC]

Doc.......are you out there ?

If anyone can solve this for you Mark, it\'s Nigel

[5150]

I would definitely say three bearded rockling, if you look at the lower lip in the photo there is a darker mark which appears to be the lower barbel folded under the lip.

Had a check on fishbase.org and couldn\'t see anything else it could be.

http://filaman.uni-kiel.de/Country/CountrySpeciesSummary.cfm?Country=United%20Kingdom&Genus=Gaidropsarus&Species=vulgaris

[Charlton]

Well i think you are all wrong or smoking something you should not be, all i see is two white squres with red crosses

[Charlton]

Well would you belive it thye have just apperaed, definately three bearded, other will get back to you later.

[Charlton]

Just had a quick look to make sure, definately Rock Cook also known as small mouthed wrasse, blue lines on head and dark bar across tail fin