Dead ray at Christchurch

[crablante]

Was shocked to come across this at low tide, because I thought rays (and sharks) were protected in the UK but it seems I was wrong.

 

[JLD]

They have a minimum size just like any other species. And they very are tasty.

 

[Mr Fish]

They have a minimum size just like any other species. And they very are tasty.

Yes, although I put them all back these days, have taken a few for people that wanted them in the past

 

[crablante]

They have a minimum size just like any other species. And they very are tasty.

My bad - I misremembered what this page said:

"...Almost all ray species are classed as Vulnerable or Near Threatened by the IUCN. Recommended that anglers catch and release ray species..."

UK Minimum Size Limits | British Sea Fishing

A list of current minimum size limits for shore caught fish in the UK.

britishseafishing.co.uk

 

[Cwab]

Recall wet fish shop selling them and box’s been landed by trawlers also eating them, sweet with lots of small bones but to me very nice. edit, they were thornbacks, which are skate, or were. edit, apparently not bones but cartilage.

 

[crablante]

...sweet with lots of small bones...

Edible bones like the ones in (for example) sardines?

 

[Cwab]

Edible bones like the ones in (for example) sardines?

The ones that were cooked for me ( circa late sixties ) was a case of scraping the cooked flesh from the bone which I enjoyed but recall it was a hassle if hungry, not tried any since but caught a few from the boat on the anchor and returned when targeting cod.
Edit, apparently not bone but cartilage.

 

[JLD]

They don't have bones, just cartlige which isn't good to eat but the flesh comes away very easily and they really are good eating. I usually freeze them before cooking to avoid the ammonia issue and skinning them is a real chore.

 

[Cwab]

May have to revisit eating one reading post 8 from jld

 

[nearly70ty]

That's a lot of faffing around, and that knife was heading towards his fingers just a little to often for me
Ps was that ray twitchiching.

 

[Cwab]

That's a lot of faffing around, and that knife was heading towards his fingers just a little to often for me
Ps was that ray twitchiching.

Seemed to be twitching.

 

[Mushty]

The only criticism I might have is that the one found in the first pick is a female.
If I’m gonna keep one I only take males as the girls maybe be expecting??

 

[Mushty]

I may take that back as on 2nd look it may actually be a male…

 

[Cwab]

Been scalped for certain.

 

[crablante]

I may take that back as on 2nd look it may actually be a male…

Does this side help figure out what it was?

 

[crablante]

The only criticism...

I couldn't see a spike to the brain...what a way to go...dismembered alive

 

[Cwab]

I couldn't see a spike to the brain...what a way to go...dismembered alive

Had a few trips with a friend on a trawler in my teens and thought nothing of gutting live fish after net been hauled and a relatively quick end in reality, hope the ray/skate had a good tap prior to been harvested.

 

[crablante]

hope the ray/skate had a good tap prior to been harvested.

Yeah I wondered if that's what may have happened The ray in the video posted here had been spiked.

 

[Mushty]

Does this side help figure out what it was?
View attachment 82795

Yeah maybe female, would think the gonads are a lot longer.
Hard to tell if gonads are underneath or that’s just flaps of wing skin?

 

[flappy]

Hard to tell if gonads are underneath or that’s just flaps of wing skin?

.. oi .