The cuckoo ray is a triangular ray with a pointed snout and a short tail. Our sources do not record it off the Sussex coast. British boat record: confirmed.
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About the cuckoo ray
The cuckoo ray is a triangular ray with a pointed snout and a short tail. It is light brown with stripes, and it carries two dark spots on each wing, each one speckled with white. Those wing spots are the feature to look for.
It grows to about 3 ft across and 10 lb, and it is usually smaller. It lives mainly in the south and west of British waters, in about 30 m of water or more. It is strongest in the Celtic Sea, and it is also found in the English Channel and the southern North Sea.
It is very rare from the shore, so it is mainly a fish for boat anglers. The sharp thorns make it awkward to handle, so take care when unhooking one. Our sources note no Sussex catches.
The IUCN lists it as Least Concern. It has little commercial value and is often discarded dead as trawl bycatch, so please release any you catch. If you are unsure what you have, a photograph of the wing spots will help. The British boat record is 5 lb 11 oz, set in 1975.
On the boat
The record gives no months for Britain or for Sussex, so we cannot say when to expect one. It is very rare from the shore and is mainly caught by boat anglers. The sharp thorns make handling difficult. No bait or rig is given for this species in our sources, and no Sussex catches are noted. It is found in about 30 m of water or more.
British boat-caught record
Confirmed record
- Weight
- 5 lb 11 oz
- Where
- Off Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland
- When
- 1975
- Angler
- V Morrison
Confirmed British boat-caught record: V Morrison, 5 lb 11 oz, off the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland, 1975. The official list gives the year only and lists the species as Raja naevus. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer boat claims must be measured (qualifying wingspan 65 cm).
How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.
Care and rules
The cuckoo ray is Least Concern (IUCN). It has little commercial value and is often discarded dead as trawl bycatch. Please release it. Our sources give no landing size for this species. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.
Did you know?
The current boat record dates from 1975. The same fish is often thrown back dead as trawl bycatch, because it has little commercial value.
Questions about the cuckoo ray
What is the British boat-caught record for cuckoo ray?
Confirmed British boat-caught record: V Morrison, 5 lb 11 oz, off the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland, 1975. The official list gives the year only and lists the species as Raja naevus. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer boat claims must be measured (qualifying wingspan 65 cm).
Is cuckoo ray caught off the Sussex coast?
Not according to the sources behind this guide.
When is the best time to catch cuckoo ray?
Our sources do not give months for the cuckoo ray, for Sussex or for the rest of Britain.
How big does a cuckoo ray get?
Up to about 3 ft across and 10 lb, usually smaller.
Sources
- British Sea Fishing: Other Ray Species: britishseafishing.co.uk
- BRFC Sea Fish Records, June 2026: anglingtrust.net
Picture: Oscar Bos (Ecomare), file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
