A RARE fish, usually found in Mediterranean and southern European waters, has been spotted in Cornwall for first time this century.

A local dive company and their clients had the colourful surprise while diving off The Lizard.

They spotted and photographed what looked like a kind of gurnard but not one they had seen before despite having dived in Cornwall for years.

Back on shore, Des Glover, who took the pictures, and business partner David Roberts, of Kennack Diving, checked their ID books and saw a possible match with a streaked gurnard.

They sought a second opinion from David's friend, Rory Goodall, founder of the marine wildlife conservation forum Marine Scene Solutions, and wildlife watching company Elemental Tours.

"I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw this amazing fish," said Rory, whose company is based in Penzance.

"All gurnards are rather unusual looking creatures, but this was something else, with its iridescent, blue-fringed pectoral 'wings'

"I was inclined to agree with the streaked gurnard ID but, after checking with Sue Scott at the Cornwall Wildlife Trust's records centre, and finding only four positive sightings in Britain for the last 40 years, erred on the side of caution.

"I called in the big guns, the British Marine Life Study Society and Cornish marine life expert, Dr Paul Gainey, and both confirmed our initial identification, and the first British record for the 21st century."

The streaked gurnard is an occasional late summer migrant from warmer more southerly waters of the eastern Atlantic such as the Bay of Biscay and off the coasts of Spain, Portugal and in the Mediterranean.

Though this species is a rare visitor today it seems to have been significantly more common, at least in Cornish waters, in the late 19th century when catches ranging from a dozen to 100 fish were recorded as being landed at Gorran, Mevagissey and Newlyn.