Isles of Scilly Fish and Fisheries - Cornwall Wildlife Trust

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9) Species and Group accounts. 9.1) European Spiny Lobster Palinurus elephas. (BAP species) The spiny lobster, which is more generally known as Crayfish or Crawfish, is a BAP Species. Unlike H. gammarus, P. elephas is a migratory species of the more open firm bottom areas. It is less common and more offshore than H. gammarus (Pawson and Robson, 1996a) They may be trapped in baited pots, but are normally caught by bottom set trammel or tangle nets. This was a major fishery of the islands but has now declined considerably, though several boats do still set nets for them, over rocky ground in August and September. After the Second World War they were abundant, with up to 170 being caught in one mile of net, and some boats fishing 30 miles of net. By the late 1950s they were still common with 80 P. elephas being taken from 60 pots: it is now unusual to find one in a pot. Further evidence of the decline of this species as a result of fishing pressure is shown in the decrease in male carapace length of animals landed in Cornwall from around 160 mm in the 1960s to 120 mm in the early 1990s. It is suggested that this species would benefit from no take zones (UK BAP, 2009). During the 2009 and 2010 the fishermen considered the catch of P. elephas to be average for these days, that for 2010 down a bit on 2009. However, they were finding significant numbers of young undersized crawfish which were returned (I. Mitchell and K. Legg pers. comm., 2010). This shows that the stocks could have the potential for recovery, particularly if suitable no take zones can be agreed and instituted. 9.2) Slipper Lobster Scyllarus arctus This small clawless lobster is a southern (Lusitanian and Mediterranean) species, from 9 to 14 cm in length and living among rocks, at depths of 12 to 145 metres most occurring around 50 m. In recent years they appear to have extended their range northwards with 59 records from British and Irish waters since 1750, the majority (38) after 1998 (Quigley et al., in press, a). There are eleven records of thirteen individuals 28
in and around the Isles of Scilly since 1996. Two of the females were ovigerous (berried or egg-bearing). 9.3) Kuruma Prawn Marsupenaeus japonicus Since 1989 there have been 14 reports (12 after 2000) of jumbo shrimps from the south west (Dorset to South Wales) and southern Ireland. All those that have been critically examined have been of the Indo-West Pacific species Marsupenaeus japonicus (Quigley et al., in press, b). In September 2007 a few jumbo shrimps were caught in shrimp pots around St Martin’s (K. Lowe, pers. comm. 2009); these may have been of this species. M. japonicus is used in aquaculture, being farmed semi-extensively in coastal lagoons, in the Atlantic Maritime region of France, and it is assumed that these shrimps had escaped from French facilities, possibly as post-larvae. Specimens have also been found in the Bay of Biscay. Although all of the specimens appear to have been adults and there is currently no evidence to suggest that M. japonicus supports a selfsustaining breeding population in UK or Irish waters (Quigley et al., in press, b). Similarly there is as yet no evidence of any adverse effects on the local ecosystems from this non-native species; but it should be noted that in the Eastern Mediterranean where it is believed to have arrived in the 1920s as a Lessepsian migrant (from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal) it has almost evicted the previously commercially important native penaeid prawn Melicertus kerathurus (d’Udekem, 1999). 9.4) Curled Octopus Eledone cirrhosa Although the Common Octopus Octopus vulgaris probably occurs in the Isles of Scilly, all recent confirmed reports refer to Eledone cirrhosa, the Lesser or Curled Octopus. There are occasional records of them throughout the fishing season, but in particular in October 2009; and in September/October 2010 there were reports of a lot of octopuses, ranging in size from large adults to smaller juveniles. These appeared to be entering the pots to feed on the crustaceans within. E. cirrhosa is a northerly species, which might be expected to decline in southern areas as a result of climate change, but appears to be doing well in the Isles of Scilly at present. 29
Page 1 and 2: Isles of Scilly Marine Biodiversity
Page 3 and 4: 5.3.4) Mullet nets 15 5.4) Potting
Page 5 and 6: APPENDICES 46 A) Fish and shellfish
Page 7 and 8: From this a directory of contacts w
Page 9 and 10: 2.5) Study of shore fish The intert
Page 11 and 12: 4) Areas and habitats These are gen
Page 13 and 14: and ooze. 4.3.1) North and north we
Page 15 and 16: according to the animals targeted.
Page 17 and 18: 5.4.3) Soft-eye pots. These are sim
Page 19 and 20: (Cetorhinus maximus) frequently see
Page 21 and 22: The Giant Goby (Gobius cobitis) has
Page 23 and 24: 8.5) Sand 8.5.1) Intertidal sandfla
Page 25 and 26: 8.8) Offshore grounds The grounds t
Page 27: Fig.1 Juvenile Lumpsucker Cyclopter
Page 31 and 32: 9.6) Rays 9.6.1) Common Skate Diptu
Page 33 and 34: 9.11) Atlantic Salmon and Sea trout
Page 35 and 36: M. aeglefinus is a northern fish an
Page 37 and 38: off the Cornish coast (M. Gilbert,
Page 39 and 40: Figure 3. Gobius sp. St Agnes, Sept
Page 41 and 42: 10) Spawning and Nursery areas 10.1
Page 43 and 44: 11.2) Crustacean fisheries 11.2.1)
Page 45 and 46: angling would excluded. If carefull
Page 47 and 48: Belone belone Garfish Callionymus l
Page 49 and 50: B) Bibliography on the Fish and Fis
Page 51 and 52: Lewis, G., Parslow, R., Gall, A. an
Page 53 and 54: UK BAP (2009) 2007 UK BAP priority
Page 55 and 56: St Agnes Regn. No. Vessel Skipper C
Page 57 and 58: D) Recording Forms D.1) Fish and Sh

Isles of Scilly Fish and Fisheries - Cornwall Wildlife Trust

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