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N°1 | The European Eel

The European Eel belongs to the Anguillidae family. The european eel can reach a maximum size of 1.50 m and a weight of 3 kg. However, males rarely exceed 45 cm. The current size is more modest and varies between 40 and 60 cm. Its longevity is 12 to 20 years but in captivity it can reach more than 50 years. They can be fished from June to September. The European eel has a snake-like body, with a circular cross-section and very elongated. The body is covered with smooth, viscous skin, rich in thick mucus-secreting cells. The scales are small, oval and deeply embedded in the skin. It has a small round eye and a terminal mouth. The lower jaw is prominent. The color of the eel varies as it grows. In the yellow eel stage, it has a brownish, greenish or yellowish color depending on its habitat (homochrome). The lateral line is not very visible. In the silver eel stage, the back is dark green, the sides have silvery highlights and the belly is pearly white. The lateral line becomes very visible. The body of the European eel does not have pelvic fins. The pectoral fins, the only even fins, are small. On the other hand, odd fins (dorsal, anal, caudal) are very long and fuse at the tail.

Fishing period : June to September

Minimum size : 38 cm

Difficulty :

N°2 | The Smoothhound fish

The Smoothhound fish belongs to the Triakidae family. In exceptional cases, the emissole can reach a length of 160 cm, but it is common between 60 and 120 cm. He can live for about twenty years. Breeding takes place between June and March. The female can give birth to 10 or 20 young. It is mainly fished in the summer. The Smoothhound fish is a cartilaginous fish (the skeleton is composed of cartilage elements) of medium size. The body is elongated and tapered. The head is compressed in the upper part and the muzzle is long and rounded. The mouth, located at the bottom, is oblique and equipped with a series of small and low teeth, which may be less rounded in young people. The nostrils, in a ventral position, have a large opening, and are closer to the mouth than to the top of the muzzle. The eyes are small, round in young subjects, and horizontal oblong pupil (typical of deep-sea species) in adults. On the muzzle, there are sensory organs for depth detection (hydrostatic). Next to the terminal part of the head, there are five gill cracks. A subtle but distinct fold of the skin is found along the back, from the tail to the gill cracks. The skin (shagreen skin) is almost smooth. The dorsal fins are two, triangular in shape, the second is slightly smaller than the first. The pectoral muscles have a rounded and slightly concave inner top. The caudal fin has two non-symmetrical lobes (the upper part more developed). The anal fin is present. The colouring of the back and sides ar

Fishing period : summer

Minimum size : 60 cm

Difficulty :

N°3 | The Mackerel fish

The Mackerel fish belongs to the Scombridae family. The average size of adult mackerel is 30 to 40 cm and its weight ranges from 500 g to exceptionally 1.5 kg. It can live up to 17 years. It reproduces from March to September. The female can lay 450000 eggs. It can be fished all year round. The streamlined body and pointed head of the mackerel, give it an excellent swimming quality (up to 10 km/h). The characteristic feature of mackerel is its blue-green back zebra with more or less oblique and parallel dark lines, while the sides and belly are silvery white. There are 23 to 33 dark chevrons depending on the individual and include the forehead between the two eyes. The fins of mackerel are grey. It has two widely spaced dorsal fins, the first being characterized by 10 to 13 thorny rays. In addition, it also has two pectoral fins (dark based), two ventral, one anal and one caudal. The caudal is preceded by 5 small feathered fins on the dorsal and ventral sides called pinnules. The tail is very indented.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 20 cm

Difficulty :

N°4 | The Mullet fish

The Mullet fish belongs to the Mugilidae family. It can measure up to 75 cm and weigh 2.5 kg. A 16-year-old individual holds the observed longevity record. Breeding generally takes place from July to October. The female can lay up to 2.6 million eggs. It is fished from April to August. The mullet has an elongated body of about 35-50 cm or even 70 cm, with an oval cross-section and a robust appearance. Its color is generally silvery grey, bluish (sometimes more or less white, olive or brown), lightening on the sides and light belly. Sometimes grey longitudinal lines and golden reflections are present on the dorsal part. The lateral line is rarely visible. A small black spot is often present in the armpits of the pectoral muscles. The flattened head is wide, fat eyelids are well developed (but not always visible underwater because of their transparency) and protect the eyes near the snout. Its mouth has straight, dense and thin teeth, usually in several rows. The commissure ends below the posterior level of the nostril. Its upper lip is thin and smooth. It has two dorsal fins: the first with four spines and the second with 8-9 soft rays. The yellowish anal fin has 8 soft rays and 3 spines; pectoral fins have 16-19 rays; the pectoral axillary scale is well developed and about one-third the length of the fin. The ventral, anal and lower lobe of the caudal fins are sometimes yellow (but not necessarily yellow). The scales, arranged in lateral series (36-45), are cycloid (smooth

Fishing period : April to August

Minimum size : 20 cm

Difficulty :

N°5 | The Haddock fish

The Haddock fish belongs to the Gadidae family. The average size of haddock is 30 to 50 cm. It can measure up to 1.20 m and weigh up to 14 Kg and can live until the age of 20 years. It reproduces in spring. The female can respond to up to 3,000,000 eggs. This fish can be caught all year round outside of spawning periods. Like all coastal fish of which it is a part, haddock has three dorsal fins and two anal fins. Its body is more or less dark, crossed by a black lateral line and characterized by its silvery reflections. Its belly has a lighter shade on its back, it can be olive green and sometimes black. Two distinctive features for this fish: the black spot at the base of its pectoral fin and a small barbel on its lower jaw.

Fishing period : July to February

Minimum size : 30 cm

Difficulty :

N°6 | The Thornback Ray

The Thornback Ray belongs to the Rajidae family. The size of this line can reach 1.20 m long for females, 70 cm for males, and 60 cm wide. Its lifespan is estimated at about fifteen years. It reproduces in the spring. The female lays between 70 and 140 young each year. It can be fished all year round. The looped line has the flattened shape of a narrow, diamond-shaped disc, sometimes wavy at the back. The pectoral fins are large, triangular in shape. They are welded to the head and to the whole body. The tail is long and thin, with a triangular pelvic fin on either side. The snout and rostrum are short and pointed. The eyes are close together, in front of the spiracles. The color of its back is greyish or light brown, sometimes solid, but usually marked by dark spots assembled or in sinuous lines. This drawing is completed with large yellowish, irregular spots. These are then surrounded by black in young people. An adult individual may also be adorned with grey-bordered eye-spots. The belly is whitish, underlined with grey on the periphery. The mouth and 2 series of 5 gill slits are located on the ventral side. The upper jaw is armed with powerful teeth, pointed in males and flattened in females. Finally, the tail is adorned with a series of dark or light, uneven rings. The skin is rough. In adults, the dorsal surface of the disc includes a few large curls (curved horny spines with an oval base) arranged irregularly. The young have a very pronounced median line, up to the t

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 36 cm

Difficulty :

N°7 | The Weever fish

The Weever fish belongs to the Trachinidae family. The Weever fish form a family of perciform marine fish, the Trachinidae, which includes nine species. Their sizes vary from 15 cm to more than 50 cm depending on the species. The Nine species are: The Lesser weever, the Spotted weever, the Guinean weever, the Sailfin weever, the Trachinus cornutus, the Greater weever, the Striped weever, the Cape Verde weever and the Starry weever. It can be fished during the hot seasons. The Weever fish can be classified into two categories, on the one hand the small Vive which measures less than 15 cm, and the large Vive, measuring on average 2 to 30 cm and can reach 50 cm in length. The large weever differs from the small one in that it has four thorns in its orbits. The weever is always dangerous, in that it is endowed with erectile spines are the bite is very toxic, which can have long-term consequences in humans. The weever is yellow on the back, with a whitish belly and yellow or brown streaks. Accidents are much more frequent since the weever is often buried in the sand, so the risk is greater, as you may step on it and get stung.

Fishing period : during hot season

Minimum size : no restriction

Difficulty :

N°8 | The Red Bream

The Red Bream belongs to the Sparidae Family. The Red bream is a fish with a common length of 15 to 30 cm, the maximum known size being 60 cm. This fish can live for about twenty years. It breeds from May to August or March to July. Although it is fished all year round, it is between fall and winter that catches increase. The body is oval in shape, compressed laterally, as in most Sparidae. The head has an almost straight profile, a pointed snout, a fairly small mouth in a low and inclined position. The diameter of the eye is much smaller than the length of the muzzle. The inside of the mouth is greyish or whitish. The 2 jaws have sharp teeth in front (larger outer teeth, with small teeth) and 2 or 3 rows of molar-shaped teeth in the back. Like all Sparidae, it has only one dorsal fin. It begins at the plumbing of the pelvic bones and includes 12 spines and 10 to 11 soft rays. The anal fin has 3 spines and 8 to 9 soft rays, the length of its base is one-third that of the dorsal fin. The pectoral fins are high and very long, reaching almost vertically from the beginning of the anal fin. The caudal fin is forked. The body color is silvery pink with bluish reflections, the back and top of the head being darker. The upper part of the body is dotted with small blue spots. The upper outer edge of the lid is marked with a carmine red. The bases of the pectoral fins have a reddish spot and sometimes a spot is also observed at the base of the last rays of the dorsal fin.

Fishing period : All year

Minimum size : 15 cm

Difficulty :

N°9 | The Monkfish

The Monkfish belongs to the Lophiidae Family. The height, in adults, is between 70 and 200 cm. The weight of large individuals is around 40 kg, with a maximum of 58 kg recorded. The longevity is about twenty years. It breeds in winter. The female can lay millions of eggs at once. It is fished in abundance from December to March. With its enormous head (it constitutes 60% of the animal's weight), its widely split mouth and highly developed pectoral fins, anglerfish cannot be confused with any other fish. The body has a round section at the level of the tail, flattened towards the head. The first three rays of the dorsal fin are placed very far forward; the first, located in front of the eyes, carries a flap of bifid skin that the animal uses as bait. The skin is smooth, flake-free and slightly viscous. A row of branched appendages, more developed around the head, borders the median part of the body. The gill holes in the highest position are protected by two bony caps inserted under the skin. The teeth are strong, pointed and curved backwards. The general color is a light brown marbled with darker areas, which may vary according to the environment. Despite their large size, anglerfish are quite good at camouflage.

Fishing period : in winter

Minimum size : 50 cm

Difficulty :

N°10 | The Gurnard Fish

The Gurnard Fish belongs to the Triglidae family. their sizes vary from 250g to 1 kg. The maximum size recorded is 6 kg. The maximum age that was reached and measured in this fish was 15 years. It is fished in August in April. The gurnard can be identified by the way he moves on the bottom using the first 3 rays of his pectoral fins transformed into locomotor appendages allowing him to "walk" on the seabed. The longest rays of the pectoral fin reach the beginning of the anal fin. This fin, when the individual begins to swim, shows its underside decorated with a bright blue border. It may also have a fairly central black area with blue spots. The bluish coloration of the pectoral fades with age. This fish has two distinct ridges, the first of which is quite short. With a maximum height of 75 cm, but usually not exceeding fifty centimeters, it is the largest representative of the family. Its maximum referenced weight is 6 kg. As with other gurnards, the head is massive and armored. It has a snout extending far forward and ending in a curvature or a slight indentation. The spines on the lids and pre-lids are quite short. The general color varies from grey to reddish to brown with varying degrees of dark spots. Her belly is white. Small scales give it a very smooth looking integument. The lateral line, which is similar in color to that of the body, shows only a slight relief.

Fishing period : from August to April

Minimum size : 200 g

Difficulty :

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How it works

This is a score of 1 to 10 calculated city by city according to some forty criteria affecting fishing: moon, weather conditions, atmospheric pressure, sunrise / sunset. sun, tides, swell etc .