The bluemouth redfish, also called the blackbelly rosefish, is a big-headed, sturdy red fish with a pink belly, dark bands and a dark mouth. Our sources do not record it off the Sussex coast. British boat record: confirmed.
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About the bluemouth redfish
The bluemouth redfish, also called the blackbelly rosefish, is a big-headed, sturdy red fish with a pink belly, dark bands and a dark mouth. It has venomous spines, so it deserves respect if one ever comes over the side. The common length is about 25 cm, and the maximum is 47 cm at about 1.5 kg. This is a deepwater fish. It lives on soft bottoms of the continental shelf and upper slope, usually 150 to 600 m down. That is far deeper than a normal Channel boat trip, which is why the record calls it not a realistic Channel catch. It is picked up as bycatch by trawls, longlines and gillnets rather than on a rod. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern. So why is it in a guide to British sea fish? Because it appears on the official British boat record list, and one was landed by an angler at Loch Shell, Stornoway, in 1976. It is more a curiosity than a target. If you ever see one, mind the spines.
On the boat
The sources do not give a sea-angling method for bluemouth, and they give no British months. It is known as bycatch in trawls, longlines and gillnets, in water usually 150 to 600 m deep. That is far deeper than a normal Sussex boat trip, so we can only say it is not a realistic catch here, and nothing more is known.
British boat-caught record
Confirmed record
- Weight
- 3 lb 2 oz 8 dms (1.431 kg)
- Where
- Loch Shell, Stornoway, Scotland
- When
- 1976
- Angler
- Anne Lyngholm
Confirmed British boat-caught record: Anne Lyngholm caught a bluemouth of 3 lb 2 oz 8 dms (1.431 kg) at Loch Shell, Stornoway, Scotland, in 1976. The official list gives the year only. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer claims are by length only.
How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.
Care and rules
Deepwater fish, so not a realistic Channel catch. Handle with care, because the spines are venomous. It is listed Least Concern by the IUCN. No landing size is given in our sources. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.
Did you know?
Wikipedia gives a common length of 25 cm but a maximum of 47 cm and about 1.5 kg. The British boat record, at 1.431 kg, is close to that top weight.
Questions about the bluemouth redfish
What is the British boat-caught record for bluemouth redfish?
Confirmed British boat-caught record: Anne Lyngholm caught a bluemouth of 3 lb 2 oz 8 dms (1.431 kg) at Loch Shell, Stornoway, Scotland, in 1976. The official list gives the year only. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer claims are by length only.
Is bluemouth redfish caught off the Sussex coast?
Not according to the sources behind this guide.
When is the best time to catch bluemouth redfish?
Our sources do not give months for the bluemouth redfish, for Sussex or for the rest of Britain.
How big does a bluemouth redfish get?
Common length 25 cm, maximum 47 cm and about 1.5 kg (Wikipedia).
Sources
- Wikipedia: blackbelly rosefish (bluemouth): en.wikipedia.org
- BRFC sea fish records, June 2026: anglingtrust.net
Picture: Jo Langeneck, file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
