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Fish guide

Witch

Glyptocephalus cynoglossus · Flatfish

Also called witch flounder

Witch
Photo: Tvabutzku1234, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
What fish is this?Identify a fish from a photo

A deep-water flatfish of muddy and sandy ground, rarely caught on rod and line in UK waters.[1]

How to recognise it

  • Oval, right-eyed flatfish with a small head and mouth, light brown to greenish-grey on top.[1]
  • Rough skin and a completely straight lateral line.[1]
  • Pectoral fin on the eyed side is short with a blackish tip; the body is long and slim for a flatfish.[2]

When and where

Found over
sand, mud[1]

Sources

  1. British Sea Fishing: Witch
  2. FishBase: Glyptocephalus cynoglossus

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.

Size and bag limit

Minimum size
Sizes vary along the coast. Pick your spot to see the rule there.
Bag limit
None set for the whole UK.
Minimum sizes around the UK
AreaMinimum size
Kent & Essex IFCANone
Sussex IFCA28 cm
Southern IFCA28 cm
Devon & Severn IFCANone
Cornwall IFCA28 cm
Isles of Scilly IFCANot checked yet
North Western IFCA28 cm
North Eastern IFCANot checked yet
Northumberland IFCANot checked yet
Eastern IFCANone
Welsh GovernmentNot checked yet
Scottish GovernmentNot checked yet
DAERA (Northern Ireland)Not checked yet