Three-bearded rockling

Gaidropsarus vulgaris · Cod and relatives

Also called rockling

Three-bearded rockling — Photo: Gervais et Boulart, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

What fish is this?Identify a fish from a photo

The largest rockling in UK waters, found on rocky ground and also over mud, sand and gravel.^[1]

How to recognise it

Three barbels: one on the chin and two on the snout.^[1]
Always marbled, mottled or spotted along the flanks, and can be bright orange or reddish. The shore rockling is plainer and duller.^[2]
A row of small fleshy filaments follows the first dorsal ray, with long second dorsal and anal fins.^[1]

When and where

Found over: rocky ground, mud, sand, gravel^[1]
Baits: lugworm, ragworm, mackerel strip^[2]

Sources

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.

Fish guide