The Lumpsucker or Lumpfish – Cyclopterus lumpus - is very distinctive and is unlikely to be confused with any other fish. They move inshore to breed in February to May and the male adopts its breeding colours as shown in the photograph. Once paired up, Lumpsuckers find a suitable sheltered depression in the rocks, sometimes just below low tide mark. The eggs are pressed in a heavy yellow mass into the chosen site and the male fertilises them. The female departs for deeper water and the male then stands guard by clamping itself to the rock by means of a big sucker formed by its pelvic fins. He will stay in place for up to eight weeks, keeping the eggs clear of crabs, starfish and small fish, which find them highly attractive. Once the eggs hatch, the male Lumpsucker moves back to deeper water and resumes its more normal drab colours of grey-brown The male will grow to 40cms while the female may be considerably bigger. More common in colder water, they are caught commercially off Norway for their roe which is ripped from them, preserved and then sold in European supermarkets as lumpfish roe or mock caviar. They used to be common in the North Sea but the population has plummeted in the last few years. It is highly likely that the rapidly expanding grey seal population is responsible for this.

Location: North Sea. St. Abbs Marine Reserve