The tub gurnard is the biggest of the gurnards, and you can tell it by the head. Our sources do not record it off the Sussex coast. British boat record: confirmed.
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About the tub gurnard
The tub gurnard is the biggest of the gurnards, and you can tell it by the head. It is big and bony, set on a pinkish-red body, with blue pectoral fins carrying green-centred spots.
A typical fish is about 30 cm long, but they can reach 75 cm and around 6 kg. It lives over sand, mud-sand or gravel, in water from about 20 m down to 300 m. In summer it comes into shallower water, and in winter it moves deeper.
British Sea Fishing says it is fished over sandy ground or light broken ground with flapper rigs, using baits such as ragworm, squid or mackerel strip. It is also a commercial food fish, although most landings are recorded simply as gurnard rather than by species.
There is an official British boat record of 11 lb 7 oz 4 dr, caught at Wallasey, Cheshire, in 1952. Our sources do not give months for it in Britain, and we have no Sussex information, so we will not guess. If one comes up on a boat trip, take a moment to look at those fins before it goes back.
On the boat
British Sea Fishing says tub gurnard are fished over sandy ground or light broken ground with flapper rigs, using baits such as ragworm, squid or mackerel strip. The record notes that the fish moves into shallower water in summer and deeper in winter. We have no verified months or Sussex grounds for it, so we do not give any.
British boat-caught record
Confirmed record
- Weight
- 11 lb 7 oz 4 dr (5.195 kg)
- Where
- Wallasey, Cheshire
- When
- 1952
- Angler
- C W King
Confirmed British boat-caught record: C W King, 11 lb 7 oz 4 dr (5.195 kg), caught at Wallasey, Cheshire, in 1952. 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 a commercial food fish. 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?
Most commercial landings of this fish are recorded simply as gurnard, so the tub gurnard's share of the catch is hard to separate from the other species.
Questions about the tub gurnard
What is the British boat-caught record for tub gurnard?
Confirmed British boat-caught record: C W King, 11 lb 7 oz 4 dr (5.195 kg), caught at Wallasey, Cheshire, in 1952. 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 tub gurnard caught off the Sussex coast?
Not according to the sources behind this guide.
When is the best time to catch tub gurnard?
Our sources do not give months for the tub gurnard, for Sussex or for the rest of Britain.
How big does a tub gurnard get?
Typically about 30 cm; up to 75 cm and 6 kg (Wikipedia).
Sources
- Wikipedia: Tub 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: Luc Viatour, file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
