Fish

As the historical foci of Scotland’s population and industry, the larger estuaries, such as the Forth and the Clyde have a long history of contamination. However, statutory controls on discharges have resulted in a steady improvement in water quality. In the Clyde, a major reduction in seriously polluted areas was achieved between 1995 and 1999. In the 1970s the upper Clyde estuary sediments were dominated by a few pollution-tolerant species (oligochaetes and Capitella capitata). In the 1980s, with improving water quality the faunal composition began to change in favour of a more diverse invertebrate community and rising numbers of fish species. The establishment of resident populations of flounder was a further indication of improving water quality.

Fresh Water

Brown trout, perch, common eel.

Brown trout

Salt Water

Basking shark

Basking shark, lesser spotted dogfish, skate, herring, salmon, sea trout, conger eel, cod, haddock, poor cod, whiting, coalfish, pollock, sea bream, cuckoo wrasse,
ballan wrasse, mackerel, goby spp, dragonet, common blenny, butterfish, grey gurnard, sea scorpion, lump sucker, dab, plaice, flounder.

Photographs

© Nilsrinaldi http://www.flickr.com/photos/nilsrinaldi/3510695285/

Mackeral