Shore rockling

Shore rockling
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Gadiformes
Family:	Gadidae
Genus:	Gaidropsarus
Species:	G. mediterraneus
Binomial name
Gaidropsarus mediterraneus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The shore rockling (Gaidropsarus mediterraneus) is a mottled brown, small, elongated fish. This eel-like fish has 3three 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.

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 live in and around rocky areas throughout the English Channel, feeding on both worms and crustaceans. Other than in the English Channel, they are also found in the Atlantic (Europe) and Mediterranean.^[1][2]

References