About Gaidropsarus mediterraneus (Linnaeus, 1758)
The shore rockling, scientifically named Gaidropsarus mediterraneus, is a small, elongated, mottled brown, eel-like fish. It has three barbels on its head, and its second dorsal fin and anal fin run along most of the length of its body. These fins can often be seen moving in a continuous wave motion. Shore rockling are frequently confused with two similar species: the five-bearded rockling (Ciliata mustela) and the larger three-bearded rockling (Gaidropsarus vulgaris), because all three share similar coloration, body shape and habitat. The main visual differences align with the species' common names: five-bearded rockling have five barbels around their mouth, while three-bearded rockling have a noticeable red tint to their brown coloration compared to the shore rockling. Shore rockling can be eaten, as their flesh is very tender. They live among rocks, and feed on both worms and crustaceans. They are distributed in the eastern Atlantic from the mid-Norwegian coast south to the Straits of Gibraltar, and extend into the Mediterranean Sea, where they occur along the coasts of north-west Africa and southern Europe and reach into the Black Sea.
