Species sheet · The Edible River
Bullhead
A big head hiding under every stone.
- Deep-fried with other small river fish
- Pan-fried whole in butter
- In a mountain-stream fish broth
- In French
- Chabot
- Scientific name
- Cottus gobio
- In the water
- A small bottom-dwelling fish of clear, stony European streams, tucked under rocks by day and hunting in the current at night.
- Season & buying
- An occasional river catch rather than a market fish; its habitat is protected, so local rules apply.
- Common length
- ~10 cm
- How to identify it
- Broad, flattened head with eyes on top
Large fan-shaped pectoral fins
Mottled brown and grey coat, no scales
On the plate
White, delicate flesh and not much of it: the tail is where it happens.
Avoid: Filleting it: it is almost all head, so fry it whole and eat whatever sits behind it.
With no swim bladder it cannot float: it hops along the bottom in short bursts, and the male guards the eggs under his stone.
In Umay recipes
One Umay recipe calls for it.
