Marine Fish Skulls to ID

Andestine · #1 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 08:19 AM

Hello

I hope someone will be kind enough to ID these for me. With so many fishermen and women on WAB I expect that someone will be able to take one glance and name a common species, and this will finally satisfy my curiosity

I think they’re beautiful and took them home to draw, but I never discovered what kind of fish they came from. I found them washed up on the high-tide line in a fishing harbour. Is it possible to ID them from photos alone?

I’m always collecting found skulls and bones of all kinds. My home looks part natural history museum part ossuary

Could anyone tell me if there’s a book I could buy that would help me to identify the skeletal parts of British animals?

Cheers,

Andestine

Merrow · #2 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 09:03 AM

I don't know, but the middle one looks beautiful!

Andestine · #3 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 09:11 AM

They're exquisite, aren't they

I'm assuming that's the underside. Such delicate bones and preserved so well.

It was such a gift to find them waiting for me. I've never seen anything like them before or since.

NJP87 · #4 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 02:03 PM

Could you put something in the pics as a size comparison.

I am going to have a wild quess at some kind of dogfish???

Andestine · #5 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 02:09 PM

A thousand apologies. A friend had just this minute asked me for scale and I was rushing to put things right when your post came in.

The largest one is about 5" (13 cm) long. I can post a photo with something to give it scale before tomorrow. I'm new here, so would a British coin be suitable?

Cheers,

Andestine

The Woodman · #6 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 03:24 PM

Preferably an English coin, Andestine.

I was going to suggest a Gurnard or similar due to the large orbits.

This is a Sea Robins skull and not dissimilar.

Andestine · #7 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 03:29 PM

Bien sûr

The Woodman · #8 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 03:32 PM

My post has been edited, wise cracks came too soon!

Andestine · #9 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 07:16 PM

....ça n'a pas d'importance...

Your Sea Robin's skull certainly does look similar, and NJP87 thinks it might be a dogfish. I don't have a clue, except that I remember that we have some very tasty Conger in our harbour. Does it look like an eel's skull do you think?

Thanks to you both for the help. I'm off to my penny jar now

Cheers,

Andestine

The Woodman · #10 (**permalink**) 29-10-2009, 09:43 PM

Dogfish may be the answer. The bones appear to be have been well picked as if having been discarded from a lobster or crab pot. Dogfish are commonly used as pot bait.