Caution. Powerful bite: keep fingers away from its mouth and unhook with long pliers.
Usual size
60–120 cm
Maximum
300 cm
Where
Rock · Harbours and breakwaters
When
Rough abundance from shore in each sea
Galicia and Cantabrian Sea
Gulf of Cádiz
Mediterranean and Balearics
Canary Islands
All year, mainly at night on breakwaters, harbours and rocky ground.
Natural baits
- Sardine
- Mackerel strips
- Whole squid
How to recognise it
Snake-like, scaleless dark-grey body with one continuous dorsal fin.
Tip
Heavy trace and a firm drag: once it gets into the rocks it is very hard to pull out.
Minimum size and rules by area
Galicia
Asturias
Cantabria
Basque Country
Atlantic Andalusia
Mediterranean Andalusia
Ceuta
Melilla
Murcia
Valencia region
Catalonia
At most 1 per person per day.
Balearic Islands
Canary Islands
Fish are measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail; squid and cuttlefish by the mantle. If it is undersized, release it alive.
Official sources →