Saithe Pollachius virens The saithe is a large codfish, usually between 70 and 110 cm long in catches, but the largest individual caught in Icelandic waters measured 132 cm. Distribution The saithe can be described as benthopelagic fish, i.e., it occurs both close to...
Anarhichas lupus The wolffish is a generous sized, rather long fish, usually around 50 to 80 cm long, but the largest individual caught in Icelandic waters measured at 125 cm. Distribution It is found all around Iceland but is most common off Vestfirðir...
Projects Myoxocephalus scorpius Shorthorn sculpins can reach up to 79 cm size in very cold waters but as the waters get warmer they get smaller. Maximum size around Iceland is about 40 cm. Distribution The shorthorn sculpin is a shallow water fish, as seashore anglers...
Projects Mallotus villosus The capelin is possibly the most ecologically important fish in Icelandic waters. It is a small pelagic fish, usually between 15 and 18 cm in catches and has a very short life cycle. Distribution Except for the need to spawn in relatively...
Projects Sebastes viviparus Distribution This species found on the continental shelf in the North-eastern Atlantic, from the Barents Sea to Iceland. It is common in the warmer waters off southern and western Iceland. It also occurs in the north but is rather rare....
Anarhichas minor The spotted wolffish is very similar to its more common cousin the Atlantic wolffish, except it has a spotted coloration similar as leopards. It can get quite large or up to 144 cm long. Unconfirmed sources indicate a maximum size of 180 cm. Common...
Rock gunnel Pholis gunnellus The rock gunnel is a small and slenderfishy, usually yellow in color and with black spots on the back. It is only found in really shallow waters and is probably the easiest fish species to find on the seashore. That’s why many people...
Projects Cyclopterus lumpus The lumpsucker is a thick, ungainly, almost ball-shaped fish. The females are much larger, or usually from 35 to 55 cm long, but can reach up to 60 cm; the males are usually 28 to 40 cm long. Lumpsuckers grow rapidly and can become mature...
Projects Sebates norvegicus The golden redfish is one of the most common and commercially important fish in Icelandic waters. It is commonly from 35 to 40 cm long in catches, but exceptionally large individuals of up to 100 cm and 15 kg have been measured. ...
Cnidarians Cyanea capillata Six to seven species of jellyfish live around Iceland. They are most common during late summer and autumn when most of the benthic polyps develop into the larger pelagic medusa stages. Jellyfish are the largest zooplankton and frequently...
Invertebrates Caprellidae Sandhoppers (order amphiopoda) are probably the most well-known and also the most common crustaceans from the seaashore. If rocks are turned and kelp shaken sandhoppers can be seen hopping around. The most peculiar type is probably the...
Invertebrates Porifera Sponges are probably the least animal-like of all animals. They are in fact the most primitive of the multicellular animals. They lack all internal organs, a neural system and sensory organs and look a bit like a colony of single celled animals....
Codfishes Melanogrammus aeglefinus The haddock is a rather large codfish, usual size in catches is between 50 and 65 cm long, but the largest individual caught in Icelandic waters measured 112 cm which might be a world record. Distribution It is found in European...
Echinoderms Echinus esculentus The sea urchins are the most studied echinoderms in Iceland waters and several species are known. The most common species in shallow water are the green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) and European edible sea urchin (both...
Invertebrates Neptunea despecta Many types of whelks are found here in Icelandic waters. For example, the neptune whelk is among the largest and also verycommon. Unlike the common whelk, the neptune whelk has a venous gland that needs to be removed before eating. HÞV...
Invertebrates Buccinum undatum The common whelk is a large-sized snail that can reach up to 15 cm height. Distribution It is found all around Iceland over a wide depth range, from the seashore down to several hundred m depths. It is also in European waters from the...
Echinoderms Holothuroidea Not many echinoderm species occur in Icelandic waters but they are large and conspicuous animals, and therefore among the best known of marine invertebrates. The five groups of echinoderms have quite different habits, but all have similar...
Projects Microstomus kitt The lemon sole is a medium sized rather thickset flatfish, usually around 30 cm long, but the largest individual caught measured at 65 cm. Distribution Mostly it occurs on rocky or sandy bottoms at depths between 50 to 300 m. Its body is less...
Lophius piscatorius The monkfish (or angler) has a large head and a very large mouth with sharp teeth. Many people claim that it is among the ugliest fish in the ocean. However, despite its looks it is one of the most valuable fish in the sea per weight. Distribution...
Projects Scophthalmus maximus The turbot is a large almost perfectly round flatfish that turns the wrong way. That is, most northern flatfishes face the left side up (where they eyes are) while the turbot (also the megrim) face the right side up. It can reach about 1...
Molluscs Arctica islandica Distribution The ocean quahog is found all around Iceland on sand or mud bottom at depths of 5 to 50 m. It also occurs deeper. The ocean quahog has a wide global distribution. It is found in European waters from the White Sea in the north to...
Invertebrates Mytilus edulis The blue mussel is widely distributed all around Iceland. It is purely a seashore or shallow water species, found from the seashore down to depths of a few metres. Ecology It is attached to the bottom by filaments called byssus threads. It...
Squalus acanthias The spiny dogfish is a medium sized dogfish, common size is 70-90 cm. The largest measured in Icelandic waters was 114 cm. It is considered slow growing but can reach an old age, perhaps up to 100 years. The spiny dogfish is a predator as most...
Algae Laminaria saccharina The sugar kelp is one of the big kelps that are the “trees” in the kelp forests. It has a short stem but one long unfolded blade that resembles a belt. Another common name is therefore sea belt. It can grow up to 5 meters long, but the...
Algae Fucus vesiculosus Benthic algae are characteristic on stony and rocky shores where there is not too much surf. However, if the substrate is fine, or the wave action to high, the algae will not be able to attach to the bottom. However, the species differ in how...
Projects Ceramium virgatum The red hornweed is small and branched red algae that can grow about 30 cm long. It is widely found in the lower seashore and just below. It grows on rocks or on other larger algae. The red hornweed is found all over the world, in the...
Projects Acrosiphonia arcta Green tarantula weed is still one of the most common green algae on Icelandic seashores. This filamentous and branched alga forms 5 to 10 cm of green mats at the bottom when submerged. On the dry, however, it resembles green slime. The...
Projects Ectocarpus siliculosus Brown slime is a filamentous algae and each strand is just one cell in width. It grows on a solid surface, often on other algae. The threads are very narrow which makes it slimy. We therefore call it brown slime as it really does not...
Algae Delesseria sanguinea Sea Beech is one of the red alga. It can reach 10 to 30 cm high and is a bright red in color. The leaves of the sea beech begin growing in late winter and are fully grown late in the spring. Late in the summer the leaves fall off from the...
Algae Ptilota gunneri Feathered wing weed is a beautiful red algae that can be found as an undergrowth in kelp forests. The branches resemble feathers and that is where the name comes from. The feathered wing weed often grows on other organisms, such as sponges or...
Algae Monostroma grevillei The green laver is thin bladelike green algae often seen in the low intertidal zone and in shallow waters. It is so thin that it is almost opaque, it only one cell in thickness. It is also called sea cellophane. The green laver is perfectly...
Hydrozoans Hydrozoa The cnidarians have a very simple construction but contain some internal organs as well as a primitive neural system. Cnidarians come in many sizes but basically only in two shapes. Either as benthic polyps that look like flowers or pelagic medusa...
Skarðsfjöður Phycodrys rubens The sea oak is small red algae that grows about 30 cm long. The stems and branches are thin and branched, at the ends of which are red and thin leaves. The sea oak resembles a tiny oak, therefore the name. It is common in the lower part...
Algae Desmarestia aculeata The sea sorrel is a filamentous and branched alga that resembles dirty long hair. However, if one looks carefully, one can see that this is brown algae and its leaves have become a kind of thorns. The sea sorrel attaches to rocks or boulders...
Projects Phoca vitulina The harbour, or common, seal is the most abundant seal around Iceland. It can be found all around the country but is rarer in the northern part. Harbour seals are coastal, non- migratory, and aggregate in small numbers on skerries, small...
Invertebrates Many species of bristle worms live all over the ocean bottom off Iceland and a few species are even planktonic. Most species are what we call infauna. That is, they live in burrows in the mud and are therefore rarely seen unless one digs into the...
Codfishes Gadus morhua The cod can grow quite large; the largest individual found was about 200 cm long. Common size in catches is much smaller, or in the range of 45 to 105 cm long in most fishing gear in Icelandic waters. Distribution Worldwide, the stock is...
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