Butterfish

When the tide is out, however, butterfish, also known as gunnel Pholis gunnellus, is an elongated blenny-like fish found sheltering beneath stones along European and North American shores. It is typically buff in colour with a row of black spots running down the base of the long dorsal fin; the pectoral fin is orange or yellowish. The body is slippery and covered in fine scales; anyone picking it up would quickly understand why it is dubbed the butterfish.

By twisting her body into a loop and depositing the eggs within the circle, the female lays eggs in a small, compact ball approximately 1 inch (2:5 cm) in diameter. After then, the ball is thrown into a hole in the rocks or an empty shell. After around four weeks, both parents take turns guarding the eggs until the young hatch.

For several months, the young swim out to sea and then return to the land. These fish can reach a length of 10-12 inches (25-30 cm). CLASS Pisces, FAMILY Pholididae, ORDER Perciformes,