Ray's Bream, "Brama brama" flapping on the shore

Cul a cnoic

Not sure if I am in the right section, was thinking of the angling section but....

Friday night 26/6/09, while walking the beach (myself and the 3 boys) a fish appeared in front of us flapping in the shallow water and with the ebbing tide, was left flapping on the sand. This was about 10pm on Carrickfinn Beach in west Donegal. I did not know what type fish it was and took some photos using the phone and brought it back into the water but it kept trying to beach itself, after about 20 minutes of this, I gave up as it was nearing death at this stage. The fish was 20" long, about 3lb in weight and had very sharp teeth..
　
We asked a few people we met if they knew what it was but no one knew. I brought the fish to the owner of the "Irish Skipper", who lives nearby, and he wasn't sure as to what it was but said he would check with his editor. This morning I got a call from him with the answer, a rare type of bream called Ray's Bream, "Brama brama". He told me that they are named after the famous naturalist John Ray who found one washed ashore in 1681. It is also known as "Atlantic pomfret". This is a deepwater fish, up to 1000m and is a common bream in southern European waters, less common in northern seas. An open sea fish which migrates northward according to water temperature. They are cought mainly for the Spanish market.

Has anyone else seen one of these or know anything further about them. Am now thinking of bringing it to a taxidermist to get it stuffed rather than throwing it on the pan....

Pictures below








And below, the happy(ish) boy who was the first to see it. :eek:

PirateShampoo

Never seen one myself, its a mean looking criter. You should post over in the Fishing forum.

fryup

looks like a piranha.....yikes!!

Cul a cnoic

Cul a cnoic wrote: »

Am now thinking of bringing it to a taxidermist to get it stuffed rather than throwing it on the pan....

Scrap that idea. went to collect it from the brother-in-laws house, too late, cooked and ate.

The Hill Billy

LOL (Sorry. )

Great thread Cul!

Cul a cnoic

Hill Billy wrote: »

LOL (Sorry. )

Great thread Cul!

Thanks Hill Billy.
I think it was a case of the Homer Simpson gene taking over "emmmmm, very rare fish, doh!!":eek::eek:

V Bull

Well done Cul, it certainly is a Rays Bream. Never caught one but have seen a few particularly on the west coast, Galway mainly, being caught by trawlers.

http://www.efsa.co.uk/record/breamrays.htm :cool: