River Camel - Bullhead

Bullhead Cottus gobio (SAC 1163 Annex II species that are a primary reason for selection of this site)

The bullhead Cottus gobio is a small bottom-living fish that inhabits a variety of rivers, streams and stony lakes. It appears to favour fast-flowing, clear shallow water with a hard substrate (gravel/cobble/pebble) and is frequently found in the headwaters of upland streams. However, it also occurs in lowland situations on softer substrates so long as the water is well-oxygenated and there is sufficient cover. It is not found in badly polluted rivers.

The Camel represents bullhead Cottus gobio in the extreme south-west of its range in England. The river encompasses a range of ecological conditions with both upland and lowland characteristics. The clean, fast-flowing, relatively oligotrophic waters with their stony bottoms are particularly suitable for bullhead, which forms an important part of the total fish biomass.

Sites have been selected to encompass the natural geographical range of the species and to represent the range of ecological situations in which it occurs, e.g. both upland and lowland rivers, and both acidic and base-rich situations. As with other fish species, site selection has been constrained by the lack of comparative population data from many localities. All available information has been scrutinised carefully to identify large populations occurring in suitable high-quality habitat.

While the SAC series makes a contribution to securing favourable conservation status for this Annex II species, wider measures are also necessary to support its conservation in the UK.

River Camel SAC Info.