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|  » Stats |
Members: 50,176
Threads: 82,393
Posts: 853,582
Top Poster: glsammy (15,069)
| | Welcome to our newest member, Songbirdsteve | |  | | 
22-04-2008, 03:45 PM
|  | Wild Member | | Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 112
| | | Lumpsucker
Yesterday at around 1am in the morning we found a large lumpsucker fish between two rocks. The fish was found on the middle shore and was 35cm long. There was some damage to the dorsal fin, but otherwise it was fine 
The only question is why was it so far upshore? Is it breeding season for them?
The pictures are in the Gallery, if you search lumpsucker then you should find them under my name, hopefully they have been approved by now. Oh ,a dn I accidently uploaded them into the Amphibian/Reptile section  
It is easily the greatest thing we have found since we started rockpooling here in Scaroborough!
F11  |
22-04-2008, 06:13 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 526
| | | Re: Lumpsucker
Lucky you .i would love to find one of them .  |
22-04-2008, 06:23 PM
|  | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 10,729
| | | Re: Lumpsucker
Yes they breed in the rock pools and lay & guard their eggs in a rock pool quite aggressively. |
22-04-2008, 07:45 PM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 112
| | | Re: Lumpsucker
I can't seem to get my images approved in the water life Gallery. The meet all the requirements? |
22-04-2008, 08:13 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Saddleworth, West Yorkshire
Posts: 1,012
| | | Re: Lumpsucker
Well I don't know how long it takes for them to be approved, but to post them quick upload them in the archive section. |
22-04-2008, 09:48 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: North Yorkshire ( Gods Country )
Posts: 1,217
| | | Re: Lumpsucker
I have found Lumpsuckers stranded in rock pools and on the beach a few times. Although not for several years. They are a fascinating fish but not the most attractive of gods creatures...
__________________
A pretty face is fine but what a farmer needs is a woman that can carry a pig under each arm |
22-04-2008, 10:38 PM
| | Wild Member | | Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 112
| | | Re: Lumpsucker
Last edited by Force Eleven; 22-04-2008 at 10:40 PM.
Reason: links
|
22-04-2008, 10:44 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 2,983
| | | Re: Lumpsucker
Quote:
Originally Posted by Force Eleven  | Kiss me Mother, I'm slipping away!
Must be Spring, I'm coming alive. |
23-04-2008, 07:48 AM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 32
| | | Re: Lumpsucker
Yes they breed early in the year. Your specimen is a male which turns reddish for breeding. The female is generally grey and much bigger than the male. They move inshore from deeper water and lay their eggs in shallow water in a depression in the rocks. The female then moves back out to sea and the male, after fertilising the eggs, clamps himself to the rock next to the eggs and guards them from predators such as starfish and crabs. He stays there about eight weeks I think, gradually losing his red colour. Once the eggs hatch he moves back out to deeper water.
They used to be common in northern waters but are scarce now. They have been fished commercially off Norway for years where the females are ripped open to extract the roe which you can buy as lumpfish roe or mock caviar. (I wouldn't consider it!!). I am not aware this fishery has increased. From observations by fisherman and by myself, it seems the more likely culprit is the grey seal whose population has increased dramatically in recent years whilst at the same time the main fish populations have reduced. Lumpsuckers are easy targets for a hungry seals and I have seen them feeding on them and also observed many lumpsucker skins floating in the sea where seals are present. This is not proven however - but a a pretty, plausible theory.
Jim Greenfield  |
23-04-2008, 10:01 AM
|  | Knight Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Romford, Essex
Posts: 5,356
| | | Re: Lumpsucker
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Greenfield They used to be common in northern waters but are scarce now. They have been fished commercially off Norway for years where the females are ripped open to extract the roe which you can buy as lumpfish roe or mock caviar. (I wouldn't consider it!!). I am not aware this fishery has increased. From observations by fisherman and by myself, it seems the more likely culprit is the grey seal whose population has increased dramatically in recent years whilst at the same time the main fish populations have reduced. Lumpsuckers are easy targets for a hungry seals and I have seen them feeding on them and also observed many lumpsucker skins floating in the sea where seals are present. This is not proven however - but a a pretty, plausible theory.
Jim Greenfield | lol that old chesnut - "its not the fisherman its the seals!"  | | | |
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