Geographical distribution
FAO-AdriaMed places the species in the eastern Atlantic from England and the North Sea to Senegal, and throughout the Mediterranean, with detailed records for the Adriatic.
- Documented presence : Eastern Atlantic
- Documented presence : North Sea
- Documented presence : Mediterranean Sea
- Documented presence : Adriatic Sea
Documented areas, not an exhaustive list. Presence in a region does not imply presence in every water body or permission to fish.
Distribution sources
Identification
A very broad flattened forebody, fishing filament with a simple appendage and dark peritoneum. The peritoneum is internal: do not cut a fish open to check this detail alone.
Havstovan confirms that the terminal lure is simple, unlike the forked lure of Lophius piscatorius; these anglerfish resemble one another and require careful examination.
Habitat
Seabeds, particularly soft bottoms, in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, on the continental shelf and slope.
Diet
Mainly fish; Adriatic studies also report cephalopods and occasional crustaceans.
In the Celtic Sea, Issac and colleagues found a diet varying with size and area, with an important role for benthic prey and crustaceans. This regional finding does not demonstrate a preference for an angling bait.
Behaviour
A benthic predator using a dorsal ray modified into a lure to attract prey.
Indicative biological size
20–40 cm, the common size in the FAO guide; a descriptive indication.
Fishing context and precautions
Sea Angling Ireland treats Lophius budegassa and Lophius piscatorius together: mainly incidental bottom encounters on sand or mud between rocks, mackerel bait and a wire trace. Its drifting presentation with a long snood remains a collective method, offered here as an indicative adaptation without demonstrated effectiveness specific to black-bellied anglerfish.
FIPSAS also names Lophius budegassa in its boat-angling documents. This recognition does not transfer any Italian rule to France. Prepare for landing a fish with a large toothed head, avoid seeking deep catches whose outcome cannot be managed, and do not improvise invasive procedures.
A distinctive feature
Its natural lure has a simple appendage, unlike the forked appendage of white anglerfish.
Sources and review
Each reference includes its access date. Overall editorial review: . Local conditions and regulations may change.
- FAO — Lophius budegassa, page 1161 · accessed on
- FAO AdriaMed — Lophius budegassa · accessed on
- Institut Agro — Fiches espèces, baudroie rousse · accessed on
- Service Public — Pêche de loisir en mer · accessed on
- Havstovan, institut de recherche marine des îles Féroé — Svarta havtaska, Lophius budegassa · accessed on
- Dupouy et al., IFREMER — An attempt to validate the age of the black anglerfish, annexe 6 du quatrième atelier ICES, PDF p.128–133 · accessed on
- Sea Angling Ireland — Anglerfish, deux espèces traitées ensemble, portée collective · accessed on
- Terry Jackson / Angling Ireland — Angler Fish, portée taxonomique du récit · accessed on
- Issac et al. (2017), IFREMER / Food Webs — Biogeographical and ontogenetic variation in the diet of two sympatric anglerfish species · accessed on
- FIPSAS Trieste — Campionato provinciale canna da natante 2025, articles 10–11 et annexe · accessed on
- FIPSAS — Campionato Italiano Bolentino a Coppie 2024, méthode collective et table du budego, PDF p.4–5 et 8 · accessed on
- NOAA Fisheries — Catch and Release Fishing Best Practices, précautions générales · accessed on