WALES: Lumpsucker Gets Lucky; ‘Absurd’ Fish Survives Trawler Net and Lands in Sea Zoo

By ERYL CRUMP

A LUMPSUCKER was last night getting used to life in an aquarium after narrowly escaping the nets of a North Wales mussel trawler.

One of Britain’s more unusual fish, the lumpsucker usually lives in deep water offshore.

But from January to May the fish venture into more shallow waters to spawn.

John Jones found the fish inthe nets of his mussel trawler, the Mare Gratia, in early March and called Anglesey Sea Zoo in Brynsiencyn.

Frankie Hobro of the Sea Zoo said yesterday: "This particular lumpsucker hadbeen dredged upby the trawler and travelled throughout the length of the conveyor belt system, out of water, before being dumped face down in a large tub of mussels.

"As the crew of the Mare Gratia sorted and unloaded the mussels they spotted the tail of the fish sticking upwards and the fish was pulled out tail first and placed back in water before they called me."

The lumpsucker is one of the most bizarre fish in Britain.

Frankie said: "It is a poor swimmer, witha leathery skin instead of scales. It has small fins and is very round giving it the overall appearance of a slightly deflated football.

"It also has large, rubbery lips and a large, strong sucker on the flat underside which allows the fish to firmly attach itself to rocks, securing itself in place even on the most slippery of surfaces and in the most turbulent coastal seas.

"Many aspects of this species’ life are still relatively unknown and there are few, if any, places where the species has been successfully kept in captivity."

After being taken to the Anglesey Sea Zoo the lumpsucker appeared surprisingly healthy, weighing in at an impressive 3.6kg.

Staff christened the fish Bruce, after hardman actor Bruce Willis who starred in the Die Hard movies.

But after a few days staff grew concerned as it seemed unwilling to feed despite being tempted with lugworms and squid.

Frankie added: "All was revealed on March 13 when we found Bruce had laid a large clutchof eggs overnight and was in fact a female."

The large clump of pale pink eggs resembling a sponge were placed in a separate tankwith regulated temperature and light aeration to simulate the action of a male gently fanning them with his fins.

Zoo staff now face an anxious 50- day wait to see if they hatch.

"There is still doubt as to whether the eggs will be viable, and unfortunately this seems unlikely because so little is known about lumpsucker reproduction," said Frankie.

Frankie said a male mate has now been found and is in quarantine at the Sea Zoo.

"When introduced to her mate we hope that Bruce will spawn again and possibly enable the establishment of a breeding programme for this absurd and remarkable species," Frankie added.

THE Anglesey SeaZoo reopened last weekend under newownership. Many new attractions are planned for Easter and throughout the summer season.

Eggs are great for the Danes

LUMPSUCKERS or lumpfish are mostly found in the cold waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, and North Pacific oceans.

There are 28 species of the cyclopteridae family which derives from the Greek words kyklos meaning "circle" and pteryx meaning "fin".

The commonest species in British waters is the shore clingfish or Cornish lumpsucker.

The females will lay 200,000 or more eggs which are strewn between seaweed and in any available crevice.

The roe of larger species are used extensively in Danish cuisine where the fish are known as stenbider. The roe is also used as a delicious and affordable alternative to more expensive caviar.

erylcrump@dailypost.co.uk

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