Shore rockling

The shore rockling (Gaidropsarus mediterraneus) is a mottled brown, small, elongated fish. This eel-like fish has three barbels on its head, with the second dorsal fin and the anal fin running the length of most of its body. These fins may be viewed moving in a continuous wave motion.

Shore rockling
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gadiformes
Family: Lotidae
Genus: Gaidropsarus
Species:
G. mediterraneus
Binomial name
Gaidropsarus mediterraneus
Synonyms
List
    • Gadus mediterraneus Linnaeus, 1758
    • Enchelyopus mediterraneus (Linnaeus, 1758)
    • Motella mediterranea (Linnaeus, 1758)
    • Onos mediterraneus (Linnaeus, 1758)
    • Gadus tricirratus Brünnich, 1768
    • Gaidropsarus mustellaris Rafinesque, 1810
    • Gadus fuscus Risso, 181o
    • Motella fusca (Risso, 1810)
    • Onos fusca (Risso, 1810)
    • Gadus jubatus Pallas, 1814
    • Gadus argenteolus Montagu, 1818
    • Merlangus communis Costa, 1844
    • Motella communis Costa, 1844
    • Onos sellai Cipria, 1938

The shore rockling is often confused with the five-bearded rockling (Ciliata mustela) and the larger three-bearded rockling (Gaidropsarus vulgaris), due to their similar colourings, shape, and habitat. As the name suggests, the main visual differences are the five-bearded rockling having five barbels around its mouth, whereas the three-bearded rockling has a significant redness to its brown colouring when compared to the shore rockling. Shore rocklings can also be eaten, as the flesh is also very tender.

Shore rocklings live in rocks, feeding on both worms and crustaceans. They are distributed in the eastern Atlantic from the mid-Norwegian coast south to the Straits of Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean Sea,[1] where it is found along the coasts of north-west Africa and southern Europe into the Black Sea.[2]

References
  1. Alwyne Wheeler (1992). The Pocket Guide to Salt Water Fishes of Britain and Europe (1997 ed.). Parkgate Books. p. 94. ISBN 1855853647.
  2. Daniel M. Cohen; Tadashi Inada; Tomio Iwamoto & Nadia Scialabba, eds. (1990). VOL.10 GADIFORM FISHES OF THE WORLD (Order Gadiformes) An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Cods, Hakes, Grenadiers and other Gadiform Fishes Known to Date (PDF). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. pp. 341–342. ISBN 92-5-102890-7. Retrieved 2 April 2018.


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