RSSID Guide

Which roundfish ?

| August 23, 2020
Which roundfish ?

The latest in the ‘decision trees’ from the SSACN Outreach Team offers a simple means of identifying near shore Scottish roundfish – you can download it here. The chart uses simple key decision points to determine which species you are looking at. As always we are indebted to the late Dr Dietrich Burkel for the […]

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Which flatfish ?

| August 23, 2020
Which flatfish ?

The latest in the ‘decision trees’ from the SSACN Outreach Team offers a simple means of identifying near shore Scottish flatfish – you can download it here. As before, the chart uses simple key decision points to determine which species you are looking at. As always we are indebted to the late Dr Dietrich Burkel […]

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Which ray–skate ?

| August 12, 2020
Which ray–skate ?

Following on from the shark decision tree, the SSTP Outreach Team have released this simple means of identifying near shore Scottish rays (or is it a skate) – you can download it here. As before, the chart uses simple key decision points to determine which species you are looking at. As always we are indebted […]

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Which Shark ?

| August 7, 2020
Which Shark ?

The SSTP Outreach Team have released this simple means of identifying Scottish sharks – you can download it here. The chart uses simple key decision points to determine which species you are looking at. As always we are indebted to the late Dr Dietrich Burkel for the use of the images.

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Dab - Limanda limanda

| June 7, 2020
Dab – Limanda limanda

Biology Other Names: Limanda limanda, Common Dab   Description: The dab is a right-eyed, oval shaped flatfish with a pale brown upper surface, often mottled or marked with small dark or orange spots, and a pale white underside. Dabs have a fine, dark lateral line that forms a distinct semi-circular curve around the pectoral fin […]

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Cuckoo Ray

| November 3, 2020
Cuckoo Ray

Biology Other Names: Leucoraja naevus Description: Small to medium sized ray with a sand coloured dorsal surface with two very distinctive black and yellow marbled “eyespots” on the wings. The ventral surface is white. Cuckoo Rays have blunt snout and rounded wingtips. Many fish have a row of small thorns in front of each eye, […]

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Blonde Ray

| October 26, 2020
Blonde Ray

  Biology Other Names: Raja brachyura Description: Large ray with a sandy brown dorsal surface with some large light spots and many small dark spots that always reach the very edge of the wingtips. The ventral surface is white. Blonde Rays have a blunt snout and often have rows of thorns alone the spine and […]

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Tope

| October 19, 2020
Tope

Today we look at the Tope in the fifth of our Species Fishing and ID guides.   Biology Other Names: Galeorhinus galeus Description: Tope are a slender shark with a sandy brown to grey dorsal surface and pale white ventral surface. Unlike Smoothhound, Tope have a prominent lobed tail and sharp, triangular teeth. Juvenile tope […]

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