I recently read the great John Wilson autobiography “60 Years A Fisherman” – and at the end of his colourful lifes tale he concludes the book with two last pages consisting of a list of fish that he had caught – both fresh and saltwater.
John had managed to catch 217 species of fish from 22 different countries… an amazing feat.
101 from Freshwater and 116 from Saltwater
It got me thinking about my past challenges of trying to catch as many freshwater species as I could in 12 months (my best is 31 for those who are interested).
I’ve never really recorded sea species before, or logged the weird, wonderful and colourful fish I’ve caught on holiday, so haven’t the first clue as to how many species I’ve actually caught in my fishing life time so far.
And another thing – just how many species are out there to catch ?
Other “Bloggers Challenges” I’ve seen, anglers list various types of rainbow trout (tiger, blue, leopard etc) as different species – also carp – (common, leather, mirror, koi etc) where to me – these are just freaks of cross breeding – and should be just classed as a single species… and in coarse angling I can’t see how anyone can claim various cyprinid hybrids as species too eg, roach/bream/rudd etc.
So I’ve decided to start having bit of fun with a species challenge again. No time limit this time – but I will stick to UK only species – one that are listed by the UK Record Fish Committee. I’ve made a little chart below which I will keep updated and do a little write up on each species as I knock them off the list. I’m going to start recording my holiday fish too on a separate list – just for forms sake.
As it happens – as I am sure you will work your way down the list to see how many of these you have caught – I’ve managed to knock off 59 species in my angling life… how many have you got ? I’ve numbered mine down the list as it goes… I’m resetting to zero – and look forwards to sharing each capture with you in future…
You are welcome to join “The Anglers Challenge” — tight lines !
| Freshwater Fish | Latin Name | Date and Location of Capture |
| Barbel | 1 | |
| Bitterling | 2 | |
| Bleak | 3 | |
| Bream (Common) | 4 | |
| Bream (Silver) | 5 | |
| Brown Goldfish | 6 | |
| Bullhead | 7 | |
| Catfish – Wels | 8 | |
| Carp common/mirror/koi | 9 | |
| Carp – grass | 10 | |
| Carp – Crucian | 11 | |
| Carp – F1 | 12 | |
| Chub | 13 | |
| Dace | 14 | |
| Eel | 15 | |
| Gudgeon | 16 | |
| Ide/Orfe | 17 | |
| Minnow | 18 | |
| Motherless Minnow | 19 | |
| Perch | 20 | |
| Pike | 21 | |
| Pumpkinseed | 22 | |
| Roach | 23 | |
| Rudd | 24 | |
| Ruffe | 25 | |
| Shad Allis | Alosa Alosa | |
| Shad Twaite | Alosa Fallax | |
| Smelt | ||
| Spined Loach | ||
| Stone Loach | 26 | |
| Stickleback 3 spined | 27 | |
| Stickleback 9 spined | ||
| Sturgeon | ||
| Tench | 28 | |
| Zander | ||
| Game Species | Latin Name | Date and Location of Capture |
| Arctic Char | ||
| Grayling | 29 | |
| Trout – Brown | 30 | |
| Trout – Rainbow | 31 | |
| Trout – Sea | 32 | |
| Salmon | 33 | |
| Schelly/Powan | 34 | |
| Freshwater Species 42 | ||
| Sea Species | Latin Name | Date and Location of Capture |
| Almaco Jack | Seriola Rivioliana | |
| Angler Fish | Lophius Piscatorius | |
| Bass | Dicentrarchus Labrax | 36 |
| Black Fish | Centrolophus Niger | |
| Bluemouth | Helicolinus Dactylopterus | |
| Blue Runner | Caranx Crysos | |
| Bogue | Boops Boops | |
| Bonito | Sarda Sarda | |
| Bream – Black | Spondyliosoma Cantharus | 37 |
| Bream – Couches | Pagrus Pagrus | |
| Bream – Gilthead | Sparus Aurata | |
| Bream – Pandora | Pagellus Erythrinus | 38 |
| Bream – Ray’s | Brama Brama | |
| Bream – Red | Pagellus Bogaraveo | |
| Bream – White Sea | Diplous Sargus | |
| Brill | Scophthalmus Rhombus | |
| Bulll Huss | Scyliorhinus Stellaris | |
| Catfish | Anarhichas Lupus | |
| Coalfish | Pollachius Virens | |
| Cod | Gadus Morhua | 39 |
| Comber | Serranus Cabrilla | 40 |
| Conger | Conger Conger | |
| Dab | Limanda Limanda | 41 |
| Dogfish – Blackmouth | Galeus Melastomus | |
| Dogfish – Lesser Spotted | Scyliorhinus Canicula | 42 |
| Flounder | Pleuronectes Flesus | 43 |
| Forkbeard – Greater | Phycis Blennoides | |
| Garfish | Belone Belone | 44 |
| Greater Weever | Trachinus Draco | |
| Greater Amberjack | Seriola Demerili | |
| Guinian Amberjack | Seriola Carpenteri | |
| Gurnard – Grey | Eutrigla Gurnardus | |
| Gurnard – Red | Aspitrigla Cuculus | |
| Gurnard – Streaked | Trigloporus Lastoviza | |
| Gurnard – Yellow or Tub | Trigla Lucerna | |
| Haddock | Melanogrammus Aeglefinus | |
| Haddock – Norway | Sebastes Viviparus | |
| Hake | Merluccius Merluccius | |
| Halibut | Hippoglossus Hippoglossus | |
| Herring | Clupea Harengus | |
| John Dory | Zeus Faber | |
| Ling | Molva Molva | |
| Lumpsucker | Cyclopterus lumpus | |
| Mackerel | Scomber Scombrus | 45 |
| Mackerel – Spanish/chub | Scomber Colias | |
| Megrim | Lepidorhombus Whiffiagonis | |
| Monkfish | Squatina Squatina | |
| Mullet – Golden Grey | Liza Aurata | |
| Mullet – Red | Mullus Surmuletus | |
| Mullet – Thick Lipped Grey | Chelon Labrosus | |
| Mullet – Thin Lipped Grey | Liza Ramada | 46 |
| Opah | Lampris Guttatus | |
| Pelamid (Bonito) | Sarda Sarda | |
| Perch – Dusky | Epinephelus marginatus | |
| Plaice | Pleuronectes Platessa | 47 |
| Pollack | Pollachius Pollachius | 48 |
| Pouting | Trisopterus Luscus | 49 |
| Puffer fish | Lagocephalus Lagocephalus | 50 |
| Ray – Blonde | Raja Brachyura | |
| Ray – Bottle Nosed | Raja Alba | |
| Ray – Cuckoo | Raja Naevus | |
| Ray – Eagle | Myliobatis Aquila | |
| Ray – Electric | Torpedo Nobiliana | |
| Ray – Marbled | Torpedo Marmorata | |
| Ray – Sandy | Raja Circularis | |
| Ray – Small Eyed | Raja Microocellata | |
| Ray – Spotted | Raja Montagui | |
| Ray – Sting | Dasyatis Pastinaca | |
| Ray – Thornback | Raja Clavata | 51 |
| Ray – Undulate | Raja Undulata | |
| Rockling – 3 bearded | Gaidropsarus Vulgaris | |
| Rockling – Shore | Gaidropsarus Mediterraneus | 52 |
| Scad – Horse Mackerel | Trachurus Trachurus | |
| Sea Scorpion – Short Spined | Myoxocephalus Scorpius | 53 |
| Shark (Blue) | Prionace Glauca | |
| Shark (Mako) | Isurus Oxyrhinchus | |
| Shark (Porbeagle) | Lamna Nasus | |
| Shark (Six Gilled) | Hexanchus Griseus | |
| Shark (Thresher) | Alopias Vulpinas | |
| Skate (Common) | Raja Batis | |
| Smoothhound (starry) | Mustelus Asterias | |
| Smoothhound | Mustelus Mustelus | |
| Sole | Solea Solea | |
| Sole (Lemon) | Microstomus Kitt | |
| Spurdog | Squalus Acanthias | |
| Sunfish | Mola Mola | |
| Tadpole-Fish | Raniceps Raninus | |
| Tope | Gaeorhinus Galeus | |
| Tosk | Brosme Brosme | |
| Trigger Fish | Balistes Capriscus | |
| Tunny | Thunnus Thynnus | |
| Tunny (Big Eyed) | Thunnus Obesus | |
| Tunny (Long Finned) | Thunnus Alalunga | |
| Turbot | Scophthalmus Maximus | |
| Whiting | Merlangius Merlangus | 54 |
| Whiting (Blue) | Micromestius Poutassou | |
| Witch | Glyptocephalus Cynoglossus | |
| Wrasse (Ballan) | Labrus Bergylta | 55 |
| Wrasse (Cuckoo) | Labrus Mixtus | |
| Wreckfish | Polyprion Americanus | |
| 100 | ||
| Mini Sea Species | Latin Name | Date & Location of Capture |
| Anchovy | Engraulis Encrasicolus | |
| Argentine | Argentina Sphyraena | |
| Barracudina | Paralepis Coregonoides | |
| Black Fish (Cornish) | Schedophilus Medusophagus | |
| Blenny-Black Faced | Triptarygion Delaisi | |
| Blenny (Butterfly) | Blennius Ocellaris | |
| Blenny (Tompot) | Parablennius Gattorugine | 56 |
| Blenny (Viviparous) | Zoarces Viviparus | |
| Blenny (Yarrells) | Chirolophis Ascanii | |
| Boar Fish | Capros Aper | |
| Bream (Axillary) | Pagellus Arcane | |
| Bream (Saddled) | Oblada Melanura | |
| Butterfish | Pholis Gunnellus | |
| Connemara Clingfish | Lepadogaster Candolii | |
| Dab (Long Rough) | Hippoglossoides Platessoides | |
| Derbio | Trachinotus Ovatus | |
| Dragonet | Callionymus Lyra | |
| Garfish (Short Beaked) | Belone Svetovidovi | |
| Goby (Black) | Gobius Niger | |
| Goby (Common) | Pomatoschistus Microps | 57 |
| Goby (Giant) | Gobius Cobitis | |
| Goby (Leopard Spotted) | Thorogobius Ephippiatus | |
| Goby (Sand) | Ctenolabrus Rupestris | |
| Goby (Rock) | Gobius Paganellus | |
| Pilchard | Sardina Pilchardus | 58 |
| Pilot Fish | Naucrates Ductor | |
| Pipefish (Greater) | Syngnathus Acus | |
| Pipefish (Snake) | Entelurus Aequoreus | |
| Pogge | Agonus Cataphractus | |
| Poor Cod | Trisopterus Minutus | |
| Red Band-Fish | Cepola Rubescens | |
| Rockling (5 Beard) | Ciliata Mustela | |
| Rockling (4 Beard) | Enchelyopus Cimbrius | |
| Sandeel (Corbins) | Hyperoplus Immaculatus | |
| Sandeel (Greater) | Hyperoplus Lanceolatus | |
| Sea Scorpion (Long Spined) | Taurulus Bubalis | |
| Shanny | Lipophrys Pholis | |
| Skipper | Scomberesox Saurus | |
| Smelt | Osmerus Eperlanus | |
| Smelt (Sand) | Atherina Presbyter | |
| Smelt (Sand Big Scale) | Atherina Boyeri | |
| Stickleback (15 Spined) | Spinachia Spinachia | |
| Topnot (Common) | Zeugopterus Punctatus | |
| Weever (Lesser) | Echiichthys Vipera | |
| Wrasse (Baillons) | Crenilabrus Bailoni | |
| Wrasse (Corkwing) | Crenilabrus Melops | 59 |
| Wrasse(Goldsinney) | Ctenolabrus Rupestris | |
| Wrasse (Rock Cook) | Centrolabrus Exoletus | |
| Wrasse(ScaleRayed) | Acantholabrus Palloni | |
| 48 | ||
| Total Species 190 | Fishing Fiend Lifetime 59 |
Hi Mike
I like it and if it’s ok with you I will pinch your list. I keep a diary of all my fishing and last year managed 67 different species, sea and freshwater so you might just have set me a new challange. I notice on your list you have a few sea species that can be caught around the North west, ie smoothound, small eyed ray etc. If you would like a few pointers of where to get these I’d gladly help or if you would like a session on the Wirral around June time we could have a go for smoothound when they are plentiful around here.
Good luck with the challenge and tight lines
Hi Ian — that would be great — I’m very much a “learner” when it comes to sea fishing. I was considering a trip to New Brighton today but the strong winds put me off,,, I chickened out and stayed local – trialing a new pike rig (which gave me 3 runs and no hookups — successfully trialed an unsuccessful rig)