First recorded Tinsel fish makes timely visit to Irish waters

The fish – so named because of its longitudinal scales and translucent flesh – was netted by Rossaveal trawler Maria Magdalena III , owned by two Aran islanders, on the Porcupine Bank.

Skipper Davie O’Neill and crew Ray Healy, Philip and John Rolston knew the specimen was unusual and contacted Siúbhán Ní Churraidhín, officer with the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA).

She referred it to SFPA colleagues and rare fish experts Kevin Flannery and Declan Quigley, who was able to confirm its identity.

The Tinsel fish is “circumglobal”, in that it can be found off Japan, New Zealand and Australia Also know as deepscale dory (Grammicolepis branchiusculus), it is “bathypelagic”, inhabiting deep water between 400m and 1km below the sea surface.

Mr Flannery has identified many rare fish caught off his native Co Kerry, but has never come across one in these waters before.

“It is just extraordinary that it was caught within days of December 25th,” he said.

“Not only is it the first recorded off Ireland, but it is also only the second in northwest Europe,” his colleague Mr Quigley said. “One was recorded off Scotland in 2004, and five other records are all south of the Bay of Biscay.”

The fish is currently in the SFPA freezer in Rossaveal, according to Ms Ní Churraidhín, who shares a keen interest in unusual marine species.

“It may find a home in the Natural History Museum,” she said. “I publish a calendar of strange catches every year for the Galway Hospice, so this will be in for 2012.”

Other records this year in Rossaveal have included a 17kg wreckfish (Polyprion americanus), which was caught by Aran islander Cliona Conneely. She auctioned it to Stephane Griesbach of Gannet Fishmongers in aid of Galway Hospice, and it raised €160.

The current weather pattern may be challenging for those employed on land but the relatively windless conditions have proved ideal for those working at sea.

However, the Maria Magdalena III is among a number of whitefish vessels which will be affected by a 3 per cent cut in next year’s EU quota for prawns.

The Irish Fishermen’s Organisation (IFO) says that the cut comes on top of a 7 per cent reduction in prawns this past year. The recently concluded €223 million deal for Irish fishermen, negotiated in Brussels, will be of most benefit to fewer, larger vessels working on mackerel, herring and the newly targeted species, boarfish, the IFO said yesterday.

In an end-of-year statement, the IFO also pointed out that international fleets were allocated an estimated €1.18 billion worth of catches from Irish waters this past year, compared to an estimated €0.19 billion for the Irish fleet.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/1223/1224286166313.html