THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

The current British record, which is the only home waters inclusion for the species, was caught at
Bournemouth, suggesting a very definite link between the species and that particular mid section of the
English Channel.
So again, worth keeping an eye out for by checking all small wrasse for obvious spot markings, which
unlike the corkwing, goldsinny, scale rayed, and female cuckoo wrasse, the baillon's wrasse lacks. Male
cuckoo wrasse with their blue and yellow markings also immediately rule themselves out of the
reckoning. This leaves just the ballan wrasse and rock cook.
Baillon's wrasse have a serrated pre-operculum or first gill cover which ballan wrasse lack. This
however is present in the corkwing which also has the distinguishing tail spot mentioned earlier. That
leaves the rock cook with its distinctive lighter and darker tail markings which baillon's wrasse doesn't
have. And finally, thankfully, a feature which baillon's wrasse has all to itself, which is a very obvious
red tinge to its fins.
Accurate information regarding sex changes in this species has been difficult to come by, though the
suggestion is of it being a protogynous hermaphrodite switching from female to male as required. Grows
to around eight inches.
THE GURNARDS
A small group of bizarre but at the same time compellingly attractive fishes about which I've never
heard a bad word said. They are actually very good to eat after you've struggled with the sharp spiny
head and spiky fins, though these days, most people are only too happy to put them back, and I can only
concur with that.
he four rod caught species we have around the British Isles, plus a couple of potential deep water species
which may or may not pick up a hook bait at some stage or other, all have the first three rays of each
pectoral fin free of any connecting membrane, allowing them almost to finger tip walk along the sea
bed, and most certainly raise themselves up off it for a better field of view, both for hunting and to help
avoid predation.
TUB GURNARD Trigla lucerna
Bucket List status – result
A fish with a blunt facial profile, armoured
bony plates, and spines on and around the
head, with the first three rays of each pectoral
fin free of any connecting membrane,
resembling fingers, both in terms of
appearance and of usage.
In the case of the tub gurnard, a fish of
widespread distribution east and west right up
into southern Scottish waters, though more
common on southern and west facing coasts,
particularly those of Wales and Ireland. Also
the largest growing of the gurnards, capable of
reaching well into double figures.
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