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Fish
Identification - Smoothhound
starry |
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Smoothhound have a grey
upper body and white underside. Distinguishing between the
common and starry is relatively easy; the starry smoothhound
Mustelus asterias takes it name
from the many white spots that are found on the upper part of
its body, and the common smoothhound, Mustelus
mustelus having none.
The starry
smoothhound is ovoviviparous (Method
of animal reproduction in which fertilized eggs develop within
the female and the embryo gains no nutritional substances from
the female) with a gestation period of up to12
months, recorded litters for starry smoothhound have ranged
between 10 and 35pups.
Smoothhound are found in mainly shallow
waters however they have been recorded at depths of up to 100m.
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On Anglesey our most
productive fishing is close inshore with depths of around 15m;
however we have also had some successful fishing in depths of
80m. Preferring gravel and sand, smoothhound can also be found
on more broken ground when on the hunt for food.
The smoothhound feed on
a host of crustaceans that include hermit, shore and edible
crabs.
In Holyhead, when crab
has been hard to come by we have also had fairly good catches
using large squid baits tipped with 3 or 4 good sized ragworm.
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I’m sure many reading
this will have caught a fair number of smoothhound, both starry
and common, though have they really hooked a common hound? PhD
researcher Ed Farrell, Dublin University, has been conducting a
range of studies into the distribution of common smoothhound
throughout Ireland and the UK. There is a common smoothhound
species that can be found in the Mediterranean and South African
seas, Ed however is almost certainly convinced that the common
hound species Mustelus mustelus, does not make it
into UK waters.
Related Articles
Smoothhound C
Catch a Smoothhound
Holyhead Hounds
Bait - peeler crab |
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