Fish ID

Ukwildlifeo · #1 (**permalink**) 22-09-2009, 07:41 PM

I took these photos in Beaulieu, new forest, in the lake/wide bit of the Beaulieu river. The fish were about 10cm long and a shoal of them appeared to be forcing them selves un mass into the shallows. Im not sure if they were spawning or try to escape the mullet patrolling the water behind. They dont look like any freshwater species I know, but the mullet and dead jellyfish I saw would point to at least some marine inflence.

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 23-09-2009, 03:37 PM

These fish are juvenile mullet.

Geoff F · #3 (**permalink**) 23-09-2009, 10:36 PM

The fish in the second photo could well be young Grey Mullet. The lines along their sides is typical of this species.

But I can't recognise the fish in the other photo as a saltwater or semi salt water species. The spots on their backs appear more like young Salmon or Trout to me, but I don't know much about freshwater fish.

Just how salty was the water? I don't know that area at all.

If it is reasonably salty, Smelt may just be possibly but I rather doubt this.

Dogghound · #4 (**permalink**) 25-09-2009, 01:43 PM

They have two dorsal fins which rules out Trout or salmon.

Ukwildlifeo · #5 (**permalink**) 17-11-2009, 09:22 AM

Thanks folks

AndyC · #6 (**permalink**) 20-11-2009, 02:16 PM

What time of year were these taken?

The second picture looks like dace possibly but they could well be small mullet (I can't decide if they have two dorsal fins or if it is just a trick of the light/ripples). If the water is at all brackish it would probably rule out dace.

If the first picture looks very like sea trout smolts (young sea trout heading out to sea for the first time). You would expect to see these from March to May and they do shoal up in tidal water before heading out to sea.
I can clearly see the adipose fin on them so they are certainly some sort of salmonid.

Andy