Isles of Scilly Fish and Fisheries - Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Figure 3. Gobius sp. St Agnes, September 2010.
© Matt Davison
G. paganellus is one of the commonest shore fish, found under stones and in pools the
lower parts of most hard substrate shores. In contrast with its normal distribution, on
Scilly it is also found in upper shore rockpools, apparently another example of a
species on the islands being found at a higher tidal level than in its general distribution.
Of the smaller gobies, G. flavescens is the most widespread and readily identifiable
being found around weed and in a variety of habitats.
Gobies of the Pomatoschistus genus are abundant, particularly in sandy areas but
difficult to identify, especially by sight. P. pictus is fairly distinctive and is most likely to
occur on gravels and coarse sand, hence it has been found in tide-swept channels, but
should also be looked for on sands adjacent to rocks and in areas of Zostera. P.
microps and P. minutus are abundant in sandy bays, over sandflats, and in the
channels. P. microps and P. minutus also occur in the Great Pool, on Bryher (Parslow,
2000; Bamber et al., 2001). Lozano’s Goby Pomatoschistus lozanoi is an inshore
species that has never been recorded in Isles of Scilly but may well occur; it is very
similar to P. minutus from which it can only safely be separated by the pattern of the
cheek papillae.
9.19) Grey Triggerfish Balistes capriscus
This is southern species, which is extending its range ever northward, is now being
reported from the north of Scotland and the North Sea. It was first recorded from
Cornwall in 1865; and the first sighting in the Isles of Scilly is disputed with claims of
1971 (K. Lowe, pers. comm., 2009); August 1970 “the ‘third ever’ British triggerfish
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