Many strange fish turn up around the British Isles. Some are stragglers that have been carried away from their normal habitats while others may be the pioneers of a new species extending its range into our coastal waters.
Some may even be rare members of formerly common types of fish.
Each of these unusual animals is part of a larger picture. The National Marine Aquarium has built up a collection of thousands of records of rare and unusual fish, the analysis of which can provide evidence of the impact of warming seas or the effects of fisheries.
We welcome records from anglers, divers, fishermen, sailors and the general public, as well as scientists, to enable us to build up a comprehensive and reliable source of information on the fish of the seas and estuaries around the British Isles. This is crucial at a time when fish populations face all kinds of threats and our coastal areas are subjected to considerable environmental change.
With your continued support this will become an invaluable resource for the future of marine conservation.
We are very willing to try to identify fish and other marine life, but it is not always possible from descriptions or even from photographs.
Please contact us with your sightings: fishreports@national-aquarium.co.uk
© 2011 National Marine Aquarium. All rights reserved. Website by Website Vision.