Description: The ling is a long, slender bodied fish with a distinctive single barbel on the chin. It has two dorsal fins, the first fin is short and rounded in outline whilst the second is long and of uniform height. There is a dark spot on the rear side of both dorsal fins. Adult fish are usually silvery-cream in colour with brownish-green mottling on the back and flanks. Juvenile fish have a yellowish-olive coloration with lilac-blue irridescent mottling. Ling can grow to 2.2m in length but most are between 1-1.5m.

Habitat: Ling are usually encountered by divers in crevices or ledges in rocky cliffs at depths below 10m. Their diet consists mainly of smaller fish although they also eat crustaceans and some echinoderms.

Distribution: Ling are fairly common around the south-west of Britain, and western coasts of Ireland and Scotland. So far it has not been recorded from the Irish Sea coasts, the eastern side of the English Channel or the east coast of England.

Similar Species: Small ling may sometimes be confused with rocklings however the ling has only one barbel on its chin whereas rocklings have several.

Key Identification Features:

• Long slender body
• Long barbel on chin
• Two dorsal fins Dark spot on rear side of first and second dorsal fins

Distribution Map from NBN: Molva molva at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Molva molva at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

WoRMS: Molva molva at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Molva molva (Linnaeus, 1758). AphiaID: 126461.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Chordata; Vertebrata; Gnathostomata; Osteichthyes; Actinopterygii; Actinopteri; Teleostei; Gadiformes; Lotidae; Molva