Cardigan Bay

Waters
Fishes
General data
Catches (0)

Largest tributaries

European sea sturgeon (Acipenser sturio)

Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus)

Syngnathiformes - Pipefishes and Seahorses

Black-striped pipefish (Syngnathus abaster)

Greater pipefish (Syngnathus acus)

Snake pipefish (Entelurus aequoreus)

Broadnosed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle)

Anguilliformes - Eels and morays

European eel (Anguilla anguilla)

European conger (Conger conger)

Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

European bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

Spotted seabass (Dicentrarchus punctatus)

Mugiliformes - Mullets

Boxlip mullet (Oedalechilus labeo)

Thicklip grey mullet (Chelon labrosus)

Golden grey mullet (Chelon auratus)

Thinlip grey mullet (Chelon ramada)

Flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus)

Clupeiformes - Herrings

European pilchard (Sardina pilchard)

European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus)

Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus)

European sprat (Sprattus sprattus)

Perciformes - Perches

Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix)

Painted comber (Serranus scriba)

Brown comber (Serranus hepatus)

Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus)

Red bandfish (Cepola macrophthalma)

Spariformes - Breams and porgies

Common two-banded sea bream (Diplodus vulgaris)

Annular seabream (Diplodus annularis)

Sharpsnout seabream (Diplodus puntazzo)

Sand steenbras (Lithognathus mormyrus)

Saddled seabream (Oblada melanura)

Common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus)

Blotched picarel (Spicara maena)

Atlantic tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis)

Black seabream (Spondyliosoma cantharus)

Blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo)

Beloniformes - Needlefishes

Mediterranean rainbow wrasse (Coris julis)

Ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta)

Corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops)

Goldsinny wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris)

Baillon’s wrasse (Symphodus bailloni)

Rock cook (Centrolabrus exoletus)

Scale-rayed wrasse (Acantholabrus palloni)

Scombriformes - Mackerels

Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus)

Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias)

Little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus)

Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)

Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)

Atlantic Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus)

Red scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa)

Black scorpionfish (Scorpaena porcus)

Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus)

Fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis)

Shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius)

Striped seasnail (Liparis liparis)

Spotted wolffish (Anarhichas minor)

Streaked gurnard (Chelidonichthys lastoviza)

Tub gurnard (Chelidonichthys lucerna)

Rock gunnel (Pholis gunnellus)

Longspined bullhead (Taurulus bubalis)

Lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus)

Golden redfish (Sebastes norvegicus)

Grey gurnard (Eutrigla gurnardus)

Montagu's seasnail (Liparis montagui)

Yarrell's blenny (Chirolophis ascanii)

Atlantic hookear sculpin (Artediellus atlanticus)

Red gurnard (Chelidonichthys cuculus)

Moustache sculpin (Triglops murrayi)

Norway redfish (Sebastes viviparus)

Gadiformes - Cods

European hake (Merluccius merluccius)

Whiting (Merlangius merlangus)

Poor cod (Trisopterus minutus)

Silvery pout (Gadiculus argenteus)

Atlantic pollock (Pollachius pollachius)

Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)

Greater forkbeard (Phycis blennoides)

Spanish ling (Molva macrophthalma)

Shore rockling (Gaidropsarus mediterraneus)

Abyssal grenadier (Coryphaenoides armatus)

Shortbeard grenadier (Coryphaenoides brevibarbis)

Tadpole fish (Raniceps raninus)

Fivebeard rockling (Ciliata mustela)

Norway pout (Trisopterus esmarkii)

Blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou)

Mulliformes - Goatfishes

Striped red mullet (Mullus surmuletus)

Gobiiformes - Gobies

Red-mouthed goby (Gobius cruentatus)

Yellow-headed goby (Gobius xanthocephalus)

Sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus)

Common goby (Pomatoschistus microps)

Two-spotted goby (Pomatoschistus flavescens)

Lozano’s goby (Pomatoschistus lozanoi)

Leopard-spotted goby (Thorogobius ephippiatus)

Painted goby (Pomatoschistus pictus)

Fries's goby (Lesueurigobius friesii)

Transparent goby (Aphia minuta)

Jeffrey’s goby (Buenia jeffreysii)

Carangiformes - Jacks

Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus)

Atlantic white marlin (Kajikia albida)

Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans)

Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus albicans)

Indo-Pacific sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus)

Shortbill spearfish (Tetrapturus angustirostris)

European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa)

European flounder (Platichthys flesus)

Common topknot (Zeugopterus punctatus)

Imperial scaldfish (Arnoglossus imperialis)

Mediterranean scaldfish (Arnoglossus laterna)

American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides)

Greater weever (Trachinus draco)

Lesser sand eel (Ammodytes tobianus)

Lesser weever (Echiichthys vipera)

Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus)

Great sandeel (Hyperoplus lanceolatus)

Raitt's Sand Lance (Ammodytes marinus)

Aulopiformes - Grinners

Atlantic lizardfish (Synodus saurus)

Blenniiformes - Blennies

Tompot blenny (Parablennius gattorugine)

Mystery blenny (Parablennius incognitus)

Rusty blenny (Parablennius sanguinolentus)

Tentacled blenny (Parablennius tentacularis)

Butterfly blenny (Blennius ocellaris)

Longstriped blenny (Parablennius rouxi)

Montagu’s blenny (Coryphoblennius galerita)

Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

Shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus)

Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus)

Smalltooth sand tiger (Odontaspis ferox)

Lesser spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula)

Nursehound (Scyliorhinus stellaris)

Blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus)

Tope shark (Galeorhinus galeus)

Smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena)

Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas)

Starry smooth-hound (Mustelus asterias)

Common smooth-hound (Mustelus mustelus)

Torpediniformes - Electric rays

Marbled electric ray (Torpedo marmorata)

Common torpedo (Torpedo torpedo)

Rajiformes - Skates and rays

Mediterranean starry ray (Raja asterias)

Thorny skate (Amblyraja radiata)

Small-eyed ray (Raja microocellata)

Longnosed skate (Dipturus oxyrinchus)

European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus)

Chimaeriformes - Chimaeras

Rabbit fish (Chimaera monstrosa)

Squatiniformes - Angelsharks

Angelshark (Squatina squatina)

Smoothback angelshark (Squatina oculata)

Hexanchiformes - Six-gill sharks

Bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus)

Rhinopristiformes - Shovelnose rays

Common guitarfish (Rhinobatos rhinobatos)

Chola guitarfish (Pseudobatos percellens)

Myxiniformes - Hagfishes

Atlantic hagfish (Myxine glutinosa)

Myliobatiformes - Stingrays

Giant manta ray (Mobula birostris)

Common stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca)

Common eagle ray (Myliobatis aquila)

Zeiformes - Dories

Grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus)

Dactylopteriformes - Flying gurnards

Flying gurnard (Dactylopterus volitans)

Lampriformes - Lamprids

Giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne)

Mediterranean dealfish (Trachipterus trachypterus)

North Atlantic opah (Lampris guttatus)

Squaliformes - Sleeper and dogfish sharks

Spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

Velvet belly lanternshark (Etmopterus spinax)

Angular roughshark (Oxynotus centrina)

Lophiiformes - Anglerfishes

European anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius)

Blackbellied anglerfish (Lophius budegassa)

Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes

Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus)

Notacanthiformes - Spiny eels

Snub-nosed spiny eel (Notacanthus chemnitzii)

Saccopharyngiformes - Swallowers and Gulpers

Pelican eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides)

Argentiniformes - Marine smelts

Argentine (Argentina sphyraena)

Myctophiformes - Lanternfishes

Spotted lanternfish (Myctophum punctatum)

Beryciformes - Sawbellies

Alfonsino (Beryx decadactylus)

Ophidiiformes - Cusk-eels

Pudgy cuskeel (Spectrunculus grandis)

Brunswig's Cusk-eel (Lamprogrammus brunswigi)

Acropomatiformes - Oceanic basses

Atlantic wreckfish (Polyprion americanus)

Atheriniformes - Silversides

Sand smelt (Atherina presbyter)

Big-scale sand smelt (Atherina boyeri)

Callionymiformes - Dragonets

Common dragonet (Callionymus lyra)

Reticulated dragonet (Callionymus reticulatus)

Spotted dragonet (Callionymus maculatus)

Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks

Sea stickleback (Spinachia spinachia)

Gobiesociformes - Clingfishes

Connemarra clingfish (Lepadogaster candolii)

Cardigan Bay (Welsh: Bae Ceredigion) is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales.

Cardigan Bay has numerous beaches, and marine life. Much of the coast surrounding the bay is fertile farmland, dotted with towns and seaside resorts such as Fishguard, New Quay, Aberaeron, Llanon, Aberystwyth, Borth, Aberdyfi, Tywyn, Barmouth, Porthmadog, Criccieth and Pwllheli on the Cambrian Coast. Smaller coastal villages include Cwmtydu, Nanternis and Llangrannog.

Major rivers flowing into the bay include the Glaslyn, Mawddach, Dysynni, Dyfi, Rheidol, Ystwyth, Aeron and Teifi.