Tub gurnard

📖 Overview

Occurs at temperatures ranging from 8.0-24.0 °C . Inhabits sand, muddy sand or gravel bottoms. Up to depth of 318 m in the eastern Ionian Sea . Feeds on fish, crustaceans and mollusks. Has three isolated rays on the pectoral fin which function as legs on which the fish rests and also help in locating food on the soft bottom . Marketed fresh or frozen; eaten pan-fried, broiled, microwaved or baked .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Longest ray in the pectoral fin reaching the front part of the anal fin. Lateral line scales smooth. Reddish color .: elongated.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Tub gurnard is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

The tub gurnard is an opportunistic predatory species which feeds on benthic prey, particularly crustaceans and smaller fishes. According to a study in the northwestern Mediterranean, the largest part of their diet was crustaceans, mostly Decapoda and especially crabs, including species such as Goneplax rhomboides and Liocarcinus spp. and caridean shrimps in the genus Philocheras, while the fish observed in the study were dominated by European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and black goby (Gobius niger). Crustaceans were a more important part of the diet in the summer and fishes gained importance during the winter. Tub gurnards are also known to prey on molluscs and polychaetes. Small teleosts which are ray-finned fish may be preyed upon by the tub gurnard. According to Colloca (1999), tub gurnards change their diet with size. Juveniles target mysids, mainly Lophogaster typicus, which tends to burrow around the adolescents during daylight. As the fish continues to grow it depends less on mysids as prey and more on fish and cephalopods. According to a study done on the trophic relationships of C. lucerna, burrowing species such as Alpheus glabe, Goneplax rhomboi and Lesueurigobius fries have also been found as the main prey of this fish. At an intraspecific level, data suggests resource partitioning between juveniles and adults that change from preying on crustaceans to a piscivorous diet. Such behavior probably depends on the predator changing its energy requirements in relation to fish size and dietary protein levels influencing the size of the fish at first maturity. It is believed that this fish will flare out its brightly colored pectoral fins to put on view or to startle potential predators. Prey hiding in the substrate may be detected using the sensory organs on the long separate rays of the pectoral fins.

🥚 Reproduction

Distinct pairing during breeding .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; demersal; depth range 20 - 318 m . Subtropical; 8°C - 24°C ; 66°N - 9°N, 18°W - 42°E recorded at Madeira and the Azores.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Tub gurnard is an edible species."

⚡ Nutrition

Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Tub gurnard has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 719 records indexed .

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