A question

[Alan Fawcett]

Hi All

 

Yesterday Dian & I took my mum to Blackpool for the day (it was her birthday) after spending most the day trundelling round the shops, arcades & sea world (that was her present she's always wanted to go there) we went on the beach.

 

The tide was a rough one & the waves were breaking over the sea wall earlier on in the day, the beach patrol bloke opened the beach just as we got there so we were the first on it & what we saw was worrying.

 

There were hundreds of these small fish all over the beach most of them still aliveso Dian, the Kids mum & me started to put them back in the water as quick as we could because the sun was out & it was really hot.

 

some of them we put into pools etc.

 

We noticed a lot of them were swimming straight back onto the sand & i was wondering if anyone could tell me why??

 

I know the pics rubbish & apologise for it but that fish was the only one we hadn't put back or the gulls hadn't taken.

 

http://www.maggotdrowning.com/myphoto/Datafile.asp?FileID=785

 

The fish had a mouth full of teeth & had a "feather" like fin under its bottom jaw at first i thought it was a codling but the closest i've found to it in any of my books is a pacific hake.

 

As i said i know the picture isn't a good one but can anyone tell what the fish is or as i asked before, why they would be swimming onto a beach?

[Davey B]

Yep, from the piccy they look like Sprats, but then what would I know? Not caught nowt for ages, but I'll tell you who might know is Phil the Fish over at.... dammit, on s/one elses computer and it's a mac so the os is very confusing - will send his url when I get to a normal system.

[Darth_codhead]

Davey B:

Yep, from the piccy they look like Sprats,

get your eyes tested sprits look like small herrin

that is a WHITING

[ShoreDemon]

Alan,

 

Would have to go with Darth on that, looks like a whiting. Plus the description of a mouthful of teeth fits the bill.

 

Why they were stranded is beyond me. Probably got overpowered by the strong sea. Sea fish seem to swim to shore when confused too, like when you release a fish and find it sometimes swims back at you. Bit of both I reckon.

 

Neil.

[Davy Holt]

Davey B:

Yep, from the piccy they look like Sprats, but then what would I know? .

they might look like sprats but the fish in the piccy is a young whiting..

 

I think you need to get out fishing Davey old boy

[spasor]

Alan?

Young whiting being chased by a mackeral shoal?

Paul.

[Davey B]

Darth_codhead:

Darth_codhead:

Yep, from the piccy they look like Sprats,

get your eyes tested sprits look like small herrin

that is a WHITING

Damn, Haddock would have been my seconed choice

[Davey B]

Davy Holt:

I think you need to get out fishing Davey old boy

Agreed! [sniff]