Ray's Bream, Brama brama

More Reports of Ray's Bream on  flickr
 
 

16 December 2011 A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was found at mouth of Brunstane Burn SE of Portobello Beach, Edinburgh. Report and Photograph by Kevin Ingleby BMLSS Strandline Reports

12 December 2010
We found a Ray's Bream, Brama brama, on the strandline, Seaburn Beach, Sunderland, north-east England. Its length was about 50 cm.

6 December 2010
I found a Ray's Bream, Brama brama, on  St. Cyrus Beach, near Montrose, east Scotland. It was a big fish, fifteen inches from nose to tip of tail.  It was being scavanged by gulls but was still alive. I brought it back and put it in our marine tank but it died shortly after.

10 November 2010 A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was found on the sand at Winterton Beach, Norfolk.   Report and Photograph by Perry Fairman

1 November 2010 A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was washed ashore at Portobello Beach, Edinburgh.  Report and Photograph by Kevin Ingleby

c. 18 October 2010
A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was caught near the Shetland Isles amongst some Mackerel. It weighed approximately 2.5 kg. My husband took the fish home, where I baked it with lemon and butter and with the other fillet made a fish pie which was delicious.

16 October 2010
A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, swam ashore at Immingham Wall at Bay 28 on the River Humber just before high tide at 1:30 pm.

28 January 2010
I found the corpse of an interesting looking fish known as the Ray's Bream, Brama brama, on the tide-line at St. Cyrus Beach (Aberdeenshire) around midday. It measured 46 cm in length and was located about 200 metres north of the mouth of the River North Esk. When I showed my photographs to the reserve warden, he informed me that two other corpses, which looked the same as mine, were found at roughly the same stretch of beach in the previous week.

January 2010
At least fifty Ray's Bream, Brama brama, were discovered over a period of a few weeks by the beach cleaning staff between Roker and Seaburn, at Sunderland, Wearside, north-east England.

14- 18 & 19 January 2010
After the heavy seas had dropped on the shore at Blyth, Northumberland, the gulls fed in a frenzy on a large shoal of Sand-eels, Ammodytes. On the subsequent two days I observed a few Ray's Bream, Brama brama, in the same shallows and I speculated that these fish could have been feeding on the Sand-eels seen earlier.

3 January 2010 Nineteen Ray's Bream, Brama brama, were discovered on the beach at Redcar.  19 -30 December 2009 Over the Christmas period (I have found 15 dead Ray's Bream, Brama brama, (see photo) along the North Yorkshire coast between Saltburn by the Sea and Redcar. This seems something out of the ordinary, we have NE and northerly winds over the past two weeks which has produced a stormy sea. I have never noticed these fish before. Report and Photograph by Bill Ashton-Wickett

November 2009
One or more Ray's Bream, Brama brama, were seen stranded ashore between Redcar Beach and the South Gare (at the River Tees) almost every time I went there, ( which was about twice a week). They were all dead, but fresh, having usually lost only parts of their heads. I didn't measure them but they seemed about 75 cm long.

Filey Beach Photograph by Vic Mackinder	Photograph by Jeff Blincow	Photograph by Mike S. Hodgson

11 September 2009
Although a large and striking fish, as I am no expert, and not having my camera with me, after a brief search on the internet I assumed it was some sort of tuna and then forgot about it. I remember, it was a good 20 to 30 cm long. On opening the Berwick Advertiser, I realised that the stranded fish I had seen on Cheswick Beach was a Ray's Bream, Brama brama.

21 January 2009 This Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was found on Broughty Ferry Beach, Dundee, east Scotland.    Report and Photograph by Steph Gauld

20 January 2009
I found what I believe to be a Ray's Bream, Brama brama, on the beach at Montrose, Tayside, Scotland, just north of the South Esk estuary at 9.10 pm (about one hour before high tide). Although the fish was dead it looked very fresh, with no signs of decomposition or bird damage. Measured against my walking boots I would estimate its length to be approximately 55 cm.

13 January 2009
I found another dead Ray's Bream, Brama brama, on Largo Bay beach at the mouth of Cockle Burn, Largo Bay, Fife, Scotland, and I also spotted a picture of one in a fairly recent copy of the local paper saying a dead fish was found on Leven Beach.

Photograph by Chris Fairchild	Photograph by Kev Tomlinson	Photograph by Rupert Smith

18 December 2008
My trawler caught a Ray's Bream, Brama brama, at mouth of the River Thames. It measured 50 cm (20 in) long and weighed 1.65 kg. This fish was a new species for the River Thames.

The Ray's Bream, Brama brama, is a most interesting fish. It is an oceanic Lusitanian species (found in mid water off the Atlantic coast of Spain, Portugal and NW Africa) that turns up occasionally in British waters; but it is not a climate change species, it has done so for many years. The odd one is found around the south and southwest coasts, but when they have irruption years (e.g. 1967-68) they appear to sweep up and around the west of Ireland and into the North Sea, appearing in some numbers. Last year was such a year, with around eight tonnes of them being caught off the west coast of Ireland in the late summer, fish turning up around Aberdeen in September and being found all the way down to Lowestoft by December. There do not seem to be so many this year, but quite a few both here and in the Netherlands. I am trying to keep records of these and hope to analyse their patterns over the last fifty years."

Comment by Doug Herdson
Marine Fish Information Services
94 Dunstone View
Plymstock
Plymouth. PL9 8QW
Email: Douglas.Herdson@btinternet.com
Telephone: +44 (0)1752 405155
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23 November 2008 A Ray's Bream,Brama brama, was discovered on the beach between Marske and Saltburn, North Yorkshire, following heavy seas. The colourful wellies are in the photograph for scale, adult size 6 - not a childs!    Report & Photograph by Paul Anderson

16 November 2008
 

I was fishing a match on Hopton Beach near Lowestoft, Norfolk, on Sunday and whilst fishing I had a Ray's Bream, Brama brama, chasing something in the breakers it flew off the top of the wave and stranded itself on the beach it went absolutely mad, so I grabbed it by the tail fin but it was too powerful to hold so as it dropped the fish in a small amount of water I kicked it clear of the water. It was the most colourful fish I had ever seen with metallic blues and reds round the top and the body was a bar of silver. When it died all the colours went and it went grey were all the colour. I had already filleted it as I new it was a pelagic fish and thought it would eat well. It was excellent I now want some more. It weighed 3 lb 4 oz.

15 November 2008 This Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was washed up on North Blyth beach in Northumberland.    Report by Derek Burton (in the photograph)

9 November 2008
The remains of three Ray's Bream, Brama brama, were discovered washed up on the beach at Withernsea, East Yorkshire. Two were intact but the third had been scavenged. The species was identified to me by a fisherman on the beach and confirmed by photographs on this site.

1 November 2008
Robert Mellors discovered a Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was found after a storm in the North Sea in amongst a large mound of seaweed washed up on the East Beach at Dunbar, East Lothian, south east Scotland.  It measured approximately 44 cm by 28 cm and it weighed approximately 1.5 - 2 kg.

16 February 2008

A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was found at Seahouses, Northumberland, on the North Sea coast of England. It was found dead on the beach by a visitor who brought it to us for identification. It was approximately 55 cm long and weighed about 1.5kg.

5 January 2008
A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was found in the surf at Weybourne, Norfolk.
Image

November 2005
 

The laterally compressed fish was washed up dead on a beach at Heacham, Norfolk. It measured 51 cm in total length and 47 cm without the distinctive long caudal fin. I have identified it as a Ray's Bream, Brama brama.

12 June 2006
A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was caught and landed in an eel-bow-net at Skalderviken, south-west Sweden by Hasse Edelin. The fish measured 53 cm and weighed 1.5 kg.
 

Hasse Edelin with the Ray's Bream, Brama brama.   Report and Photograph by Kent Andersson Fiske-Kent / American Fisheries Society

There have been several reports of this pelagic fish washed up dead on North Sea coasts over the winter of 2005-6.
Ray's Bream Discussion and Extra Information (Link)
 

28 December 2006 A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was caught  by angler Sören Linnemann, off north-east Denmark. It weighed 1.2 kg with a total length (including caudal fin) of 50 cm.    Report and Photograph by Kent Andersson Fiske-Kent / American Fisheries Society

26 August 2007
A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, (TL 458mm FL 380mm) ~ found on the beach at St Brelade's Bay (S Coast of Jersey, CI) early in the day ~ it was recognised straight away as something unusual by a spearfisherman who went to see what gulls were pecking over as he walked up the beach, also dumped were a number of winged ray frames, so I think it's fair to say the fish was probably net caught from a small boat not too far away wasn't in condition good enough to warrant a photograph, but was fresh & without doubt a Ray's Bream ~ the first one I am aware of in Jersey & possibly the Channel Islands?

4 October 2007
Ray's Bream, Brama brama, appear to have been relatively common off the west coast of Ireland this year. They are requently taken by Spanish registered long-liners while targeting Hake. Almost five tonnes were taken off the NW coast and landed into Killybegs by a single vessel.
On 18 October 2007, a further two tonnes were landed.

7 October 2007
In the last two or three weeks three Ray's Bream, Brama brama, have been caught in the Moray Firth and one was found dead on the beach near Aberdeen on Sunday. This species has invasion years when ten or hundreds turn up in the North Sea.

22 October 2007

A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was found dead on the strandline at Snettisham RSPB, Norfolk. (Map reference TF 646 327)

26 October 2007
We discovered a Ray's Bream, Brama brama, washed up on the beach at Sea Palling in Norfolk. We had trouble finding out what it was but another Rays Bream has been washed up at Snettisham near Hunstanton in Norfolk according to our local paper the Eastern Daily Press sometime this week (the picture and description especially the teeth, are exactly the same).

2 November 2007
I found the Ray's Bream, Brama brama, flapping in the shallows near to the Cromarty Nigg ferry slipway at about 1.15 pm. I didn't know what it was, but had a good look at it before tossing it into deeper water - it was extremely silvery and had a very pronounced sickle-shaped tail. Not knowing that it was a deep water fish, and therefore presumably dying, I was surprised when it immediately appeared at the sea edge again. I had another look over it to memorise its characteristics, then threw it about 15 yards out into the sea, whereupon it vanished.
I'm very ignorant about fish species, but have a good visual memory, so was able to find this fish in the Observer Book of Sea Fishes, and then confirm identification by doing a search online.

4 November 2007
A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was discovered by our Dalmation dog flapping around on Cleethorpes beach (near Grimsby) at low tide. It died shortly afterwards. Its identity was confirmed by its row of sharp teeth.

5 November 2007
A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was identified by staff at Hunstanton's Sea Life Sanctuary after a chalet attendant found it on the town's beach. Up to 20 in (50 cm) in size with sharp teeth, the fish are common near Iceland.

Early November
More reports have come in of Ray's Bream, Brama brama, washed up on the beach in Norfolk. Four  reports via Hunstanton's Sea Life Centre show individuals washed up at Snettisham, Heacham and Hunstanton.

10 November 2007
 

The fresh Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was found on Harlech Beach, Gwynedd, north-west Wales (Grid ref: SH 574 317). It weighed approximately 1.5 to 2 kg and was about 50 cm long. It was left stranded dead on the beach after ebb tide had receded for about an hour.

8 December 2007

19 December 2007

22 December 2007
A Ray's Bream, Brama brama, was found washed up at Cley Beach, Norfolk. The fish was found by Steve and Mandy Frary whilst on a walk there. It was very fresh and weighed in at 2½ lb.

23 December 2007
Whilst bait digging at Sheringham, Norfolk, a visitor brought a fish he had just found on the beach. It was a Ray's Bream, Brama brama, about 45 cm long. I have seen them a few times many years ago when several came ashore.

BMLSS Strandline Reports
 

Family	BRAMIDAE
Long-finned Bream	Taractichthys	longipinnis
Ray's Bream	Brama	brama

Angling Records:
 

BREAM (Ray's) (Brama brama)
B	6	3	13	2	829	1978	L/Cpl J Holland, Barra Head, Scotland
S	7	15	12	3	621	1967	G Walker, Crimdon Beach, Hartlepool

National Federation of Sea Anglers

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