more British fishes
Here are a couple more illustrations of some British fish, or at least, fish that are well-known in Britain. I get frustrated by all the negativity and shock-horror imagery about the challenges to marine biodiversity, and feel that if I can use my artwork to show the beauty of the natural world, perhaps that will encourage people to appreciate what we have. While I don’t disagree with consuming animals, I am aware that there is a lot of waste and unnecessary suffering around it, and if we are going to enjoy the nutritional and culinary benefits of eating meat, I feel it should be something that it genuinely and wholesomely valued for what it is.
With fish especially, I feel there’s very little awareness of the species when alive and swimming, or their habitat and habits. Few towns have a fishmonger, and not many supermarkets have a wet fish counter, and even then, seeing the sea’s bounty laid on ice still reinforces the idea that fish only exist for our consumption.
So, here is a cod and a pollack, two species that are often seen on chalkboard menus, and accompanied by chips.
Here are a few interesting facts
Cod swim at depths of over 500 metres, but during spawning they move into shallower waters, and can gather in large shoals. Historically they could reach a significant size – up to 90kg – but these days a 15kg cod would be a rarity. As youngsters, they are bottom-feeders and eat crustaceans and fish.
Pollack are a member of the cod family, though a little smaller, and they prefer inshore waters and rocky reefs where they also feed on fish and crustaceans.
