Bogue

Habitat Distribution

• A warm-water eastern Atlantic species whose northern limit falls roughly in the English Channel; UK records are almost entirely from Devon, Cornwall, and the Channel Islands.
• Documented from Babbacombe Bay, Torbay, Penlee Point near Plymouth, Seaton in south-east Cornwall, and Mount's Bay — all inshore, shallow-water catches.
• Typically found from the surface down to about 100 m, though most UK encounters have been in 10–40 m over mixed and rocky ground.
• A schooling, semi-pelagic fish that moves between the water column and the seabed; avoids brackish water entirely.

Key Locations

• Babbacombe Bay, south Devon — the most consistently documented UK location, with a small apparent resident population in the bay.
• Mount's Bay, Cornwall — bogue turn up regularly in red mullet nets here in autumn, suggesting a recurring seasonal presence.
• Torbay, Devon — multiple records from inshore commercial and recreational fishing.
• Channel Islands — the most reliable UK territory for the species, sitting closer to the core northern Atlantic range.
• Penlee Point, Plymouth Sound — occasional records from the rocky inshore ground at the western approaches to Plymouth.

Specific Spots

• Rocky inshore ground and mixed seabed in 10–40 m — the habitat where most south Devon and Cornwall records have come from.
• Schools rise toward the surface at night, so shallow reef edges and pier structures after dark can produce unexpected encounters.
• Breakwaters, harbour walls, and pier pilings concentrate small crustaceans and weed — the bogue's main food — and are worth a look in the Channel Islands and south Cornwall.