Identify this fish

[Gaverick]

We caught this last year on a hand line throw over the side of the pier. Never managed to figure out what it is.

 

[bazw]

dont know but i think i dated its sister for a few weeks 20 years ago

could it be a bull head ?

 

[peter.m]

Short Spined Sea Scorpion. Watch out for the spikes!

 

[gazzawill]

a k a bull heed lol

 

[northeast1]

Yes it is defo a Sea Scorpion or granny fish.

Catch them alot from lower Tyne marks in March April, seent hem around the 1lb mark before.
They have a taste for ragworm and mackerel

 

[RONVIK]

Sea scorpion = bull heed
bad omen fish
i notice that when bull-heeds and rocklings show up,its means bad fishing that day.

 

[SIXFOOTSTEVE]

If you hold them in a cloth you can feel them vibrate ....... just a useless fact for you.

 

[RONVIK]

UK record whitley bay 2lb 7oz 1982 Short-Spined Bullhead


long "vibrating" spined Long-spined Bullhead

 

[Markie1]

If you hold them in a cloth you can feel them vibrate ....... just a useless fact for you.

I have caught quite a few from the walkway but to be honest I was always too scared of getting stung to handle them. Next time I may pluck up the courage to try that

 

[willywetegg]

No need to worry Markie, they don't sting at all it just pays to hold them in a cloth if they have swallowed the hook as the spines are a bit sharp. I don't usually bother if they are just lip hooked. Weavers are the one's you need to watch for, nasty little things them lol.

Jim.

 

[Markie1]

Thanks for the info willy. Years ago some old bloke put the frighteners on me when I first caught one. He is probably still laughing at me even now. :red:

 

[sless]

this is how you hold them

 

[RONVIK]

I wonder what they are like to eat??

i bet the french eat them as a delicousy, they fry peeler-crabs and eat them so why not chomp on bull heeds too.

 

[mick dunn]

For some reason as kids we called them pollywogs.

 

[mark]

I wonder what they are like to eat??

i bet the french eat them as a delicousy, they fry peeler-crabs and eat them so why not chomp on bull heeds too.

yup, gurnards, bullheads, and the like. sold as 'soup de poisson' used to make bouillabaise

 

[Charlie_Thompson]

yup, gurnards, bullheads, and the like. sold as 'soup de poisson' used to make bouillabaise

Can you smoke them?

Freebase Bouillabase :red:

 

[Charlie_Thompson]

I wonder what they are like to eat??

i bet the french eat them as a delicousy, they fry peeler-crabs and eat them so why not chomp on bull heeds too.

I hate the french - what with there beautiful women, the best cuisine in the world, workers who'll organise and tell the bosses to eff off when they're taking the mick, nice long holidays, cities and villages untouched by the rapacious concrete developers, all that "he haw he haw and Oh La La" Granted you've got to put up with odd hairy armpit and horse meat in your hotdogs but hey ho :yltype:

 

[KeithB]

....and they have wine with every meal

 

[SIXFOOTSTEVE]

Easy now Keith ,you'll get ya blood pressure up again

 

[Charlie_Thompson]

....and they have wine with every meal

The only reason they wear berets is to make us feel better, they do it on purpose.

"Oh zee british, zay are soo rubbish we will wear ze hats of floppy black tarmac to make them feel less rubbishe"

Going off the French just now, be back on them when me face turns