Spotted bass
Dicentrarchus punctatus · Bass and bream
A close relative of the European bass that lives from the Bay of Biscay southwards. It is only an occasional visitor to the English Channel, and UK catches are very rare.[1]
How to recognise it
- Looks like a bass, with two separate dorsal fins and a deep tail root, silvery grey with a bluish back.[1]
- A very distinct black spot on the gill cover, plus small dark spots on the back and sides.[1]
- Spots alone are not enough, as young bass are spotted too. Count the scales along the lateral line: 57 to 65 on a spotted bass, 66 to 74 on a bass.[2]
When and where
- Found over
- sand, muddy sand, rocky ground, estuary[1]
Sources
These notes are a draft: we gathered them from the sources above and are still checking them. We don't work out best times for this fish yet. The size rules come from the same checked byelaws as every other fish.