The grey gurnard is the smallest of the three common UK gurnards, and the least showy. Our sources do not record it off the Sussex coast. British boat record: confirmed.
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About the grey gurnard
The grey gurnard is the smallest of the three common UK gurnards, and the least showy. It is greyish-brown with small white spots, and there is a big black mark on the first dorsal fin. A spiny keel runs along its side.
A typical fish is about 30 cm long. Wikipedia gives up to 60 cm and 956 g as the top end, though the British boat record is a little heavier than that, at 2 lb 7 oz 8 dr (1.120 kg), so published figures do differ.
It lives mainly over sandy seabeds, less often over rock or mud, from the shoreline down to about 140 m.
British Sea Fishing says it is fished like other gurnards, with flapper rigs and baits such as ragworm, squid or fish strip, and that it feeds well in daylight. The record fish came from a wreck mark off Plymouth in 2013.
Our sources give no months for it in Britain and no Sussex information, so we will not guess. Check the black mark on the first dorsal fin and the small white spots, and that will tell you what you have.
On the boat
British Sea Fishing says grey gurnard are fished like other gurnards: flapper rigs with ragworm, squid or fish strip, and they feed well in daylight. They live mainly over sand, from the shoreline to 140 m. The records we hold give no verified months or Sussex grounds for it, so we do not give any.
British boat-caught record
Confirmed record
- Weight
- 2 lb 7 oz 8 dr (1.120 kg)
- Where
- Wreck mark off Plymouth, Devon
- When
- 2013
- Angler
- Kristian Quenault
Confirmed British boat-caught record: Kristian Quenault, 2 lb 7 oz 8 dr (1.120 kg), caught on a wreck mark off Plymouth, Devon, in 2013. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and the weight record is kept for reference. This comes from the British Record Fish Committee list updated 18 June 2026.
How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.
Care and rules
It is the smallest of the three common UK gurnards. No minimum size is listed for it on the GOV.UK table of minimum conservation reference sizes (updated 3 February 2026), but local IFCA byelaws may apply. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.
Did you know?
Wikipedia gives a top size of 60 cm and 956 g for the grey gurnard, yet the British boat record weighs 1.120 kg. Published maximums do not always agree.
Questions about the grey gurnard
What is the British boat-caught record for grey gurnard?
Confirmed British boat-caught record: Kristian Quenault, 2 lb 7 oz 8 dr (1.120 kg), caught on a wreck mark off Plymouth, Devon, in 2013. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and the weight record is kept for reference. This comes from the British Record Fish Committee list updated 18 June 2026.
Is grey gurnard caught off the Sussex coast?
Not according to the sources behind this guide.
When is the best time to catch grey gurnard?
Our sources do not give months for the grey gurnard, for Sussex or for the rest of Britain.
How big does a grey gurnard get?
Typically about 30 cm; up to 60 cm and 956 g (Wikipedia).
Sources
- Wikipedia: Grey gurnard: en.wikipedia.org
- British Sea Fishing: gurnard: britishseafishing.co.uk
- BRFC sea fish listing June 2026: anglingtrust.net
- GOV.UK MCRS: gov.uk
Picture: Arnstein Rønning, file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
