FLYING TONIGHT; First winged fish landed off Irish coast as sea temperatures rise.Byline: By GEOFFREY LAKEMAN FISHERMAN were baffled after catching the first flying fish off the Irish coast. They had never seen the six-inch winged creature which is normally found in the warm waters of the South Atlantic and Pacific. It was identified by experts at an aquarium who believe it may have moved north as a result of global warming global warming, the gradual increase of the temperature of the earth's lower atmosphere as a result of the increase in greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution. . The catch follows the discovery of semi-tropical scorpion fish scorpion fish Any of the numerous species of carnivorous marine fish of the family Scorpaenidae, especially those in the genus Scorpaena, widely distributed in temperate and tropical waters. They have large, spiny heads and strong, sometimes venomous, fin spines. and trigger fish in Cornwall. Delighted fishmonger Stephen Rogers put the fish on display at his shop in Seaton, Devon, after it was caught by a Brixham-based trawler. Stephen said: "I saw it at market and bought it as a novelty to put on display. "It proves the climate is changing and it has been a real talking point with my customers." The flying fish, Cheilopogon Heterurus, cannot normally survive in the cold English Channel. Some of the hundreds of different species grow up to 18 inches. Long wing-like fins keep them airbourne for a few feet after leaping out of the water to escape predators. Douglas Henderson at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth said: "There have been two or three sightings of the flying fish by yachtsmen in mid Channel but until now we have not been 100 per cent certain they exist in our waters. "It's not normally found north of the Bay of Biscay Noun 1. Bay of Biscay - an arm of the Atlantic Ocean in western Europe; bordered by the west coast of France and the north coast of Spain Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean - the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east and is one of a number of fish discovered recently which may be here as a result of rising sea temperatures." Brixham Trawler Agent auctioneer Todd Crombie added: "I have never seen anything like this. We're getting more and more Mediterranean fish in our waters. "This year we have also had some fantastic trigger fish and sunfish sunfish, common name for members of the family Centrachidae, comprising numerous species of spiny-finned, freshwater fishes with deep, laterally flattened bodies found in temperate North America. ." Matt Slater, of the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay, Cornwall, said: "A flying fish in these parts is an extremely rare occurrence." CAPTION(S): NETTED: Stephen Rogers with flying fish |
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