Long-spined sea scorpion
Taurulus bubalis · Small fish and rockpool species
Also called sea scorpion, scorpion fish
A small, well-camouflaged fish of rocky ground and weed, common around all of Britain and Ireland. Anglers catch it by accident.[1]
How to recognise it
- A very long spine on the cheek, behind the eye.[1]
- A small barbel at each corner of the mouth.[2]
- Big head, very large eyes and mouth, scaleless skin; mottled pink, red and sandy colours that change to match the surroundings.[2]
- Bullrout grows much larger and lacks both the long cheek spine and the mouth barbels.[1]
When and where
The Wildlife Trusts list it as seen from April to October.[2]
Sources
- MarLIN: Long-spined sea scorpion
- Wildlife Trusts: Long spined sea scorpion
- Planet Sea Fishing: Long spined sea scorpion
These notes are a draft: we gathered them from the sources above and are still checking them. We don't work out best times for this fish yet. The size rules come from the same checked byelaws as every other fish.