Bull Huss
By Alex Clayton · Updated 23 October 2026
A bull huss can grow to 1.62 m, roughly twice the 85 cm maximum of the lesser spotted dogfish it is so often mistaken for. Bull huss, greater spotted dogfish and nursehound are all names for the same fish, Scyliorhinus stellaris, a heavily spotted catshark of rough, rocky ground.
It is one of several sharks UK sea anglers catch, usually after dark on fish baits. Below: the nostril check that separates it from a dogfish, the ground and baits that produce, safe handling, and what the British records and rules actually say.
Bull Huss at a Glance
The key facts in one place, taken from the Shark Trust’s nursehound profile unless noted.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Other names | Greater spotted dogfish, nursehound, huss |
| Scientific name | Scyliorhinus stellaris |
| Maximum length | 1.62 m; most up to about 130 cm; about 16 cm at hatching |
| British records | Shore 19 lb 14 oz (9.015 kg); boat 22 lb 4 oz (10.092 kg), per the British Record Fish Committee |
| Depth | About 20 to 125 m, most common below 60 m |
| Habitat | Rough or rocky ground with heavy weed cover |
| Diet | Squid, cuttlefish and octopus, crustaceans, molluscs, small fish, and other sharks including lesser spotted dogfish |
| Range | Southern Scandinavia through the British Isles to Morocco and the Canaries, plus the Mediterranean |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened or Vulnerable depending on the assessment; check the IUCN Red List |
The depth figures describe the species overall. Anglers also take huss from deep rocky shore marks where rough ground runs close in.
How to Identify a Bull Huss (and Tell It From a Dogfish)
A spotted, sandpaper-skinned shark on the beach in torchlight: big dogfish or huss? Two checks settle it.
Turn it over and look at the nostrils. On a bull huss the flaps of skin over the nostrils stop short of the mouth. On a lesser spotted dogfish the nasal furrows run right down to the mouth, according to the Shark Trust’s smallspotted catshark profile.
Then look at the spots. A huss has fewer, larger dark spots. A lesser spotted dogfish is covered in many small ones.
| Feature | Bull huss | Lesser spotted dogfish |
|---|---|---|
| Nasal flaps | Do not reach the mouth | Reach the mouth |
| Spots | Fewer and larger | Many and small |
| Maximum length | 1.62 m | About 85 cm |
Size settles it at the top end: a fish clearly longer than 85 cm is almost certainly a greater spotted dogfish. A young huss can be dogfish-sized, though, so never rely on length alone.
Egg cases won’t help. The Shark Trust says the huss case is too similar in shape to the lesser spotted one to separate them reliably.
For the other sharks you might hook, see the tope, smoothhound and porbeagle guides, or the wider fish identification guide. If in doubt, check the nostrils before anything else.
Where and When to Catch Bull Huss in UK Waters
A rock mark that looks dead by day can come alive with huss after dark. Bull huss hide in crevices and weed in daylight and move out to feed at night.
Start with the ground: rough or rocky bottom with heavy weed cover, says the Shark Trust. On the coast that means rock edges, boulder fields, kelp reefs and broken ground. Expect to lose leads.
Depth explains why boat anglers see more of them. Most bull huss live below 60 m, so offshore reefs produce well. From the shore, target deep-water rock marks where rough ground runs close in. The species’ range takes in the whole of the British Isles.
Fish after dark for the best chance. Daytime sport is possible when the water is coloured, and the tides for sea fishing guide covers reading tides and conditions.
If you only fish clean sandy beaches, huss are an unlikely catch. They are a rough-ground fish first and last.
Huss Fishing: Baits, Hooks and Rigs
Start with the snood. Step it up to 80 to 100 lb mono, because a huss’s abrasive skin and teeth can wear through light line during the fight.
| Item | Typical spec |
|---|---|
| Bait | Mackerel head and guts, flappers or strips; squid, cuttlefish, bluey, sandeel, herring, crab |
| Hook | Single 2/0 to 4/0, up to about 6/0 for big fish baits |
| Snood | 80 to 100 lb mono |
| Rig | Single-hook clipped-down or pulley rig with a rotten-bottom weak link |
Mackerel is the favourite bait for huss fishing, and a head-and-guts or flapper bait leaks scent into the tide. Squid, cuttlefish and crab also catch well, which fits a diet the Shark Trust lists as largely cephalopods and crustaceans.
Most anglers fish a single hook in the 2/0 to 4/0 range. A pulley rig or clipped-down rig suits rough ground. Tie the lead on a rotten-bottom weak link: if the weight snags, the link breaks and you keep the fish.
Compared with fishing for lesser spotted dogfish, go bigger on hook, bait and snood.
Handling and Releasing Bull Huss
Bull huss skin was once used as sandpaper, and a lively fish can wrap itself around your forearm while you unhook it.
- Have pliers or a long disgorger ready, and use a glove or wet towel for grip.
- Support the body horizontally. Don’t hold a big fish up by the tail alone.
- Unhook quickly. If the hook is deep, cut the snood close rather than dig.
- Return it promptly, head first, where it is safe to do so.
This is general good practice rather than official guidance. Release matters here because the Shark Trust notes no species-specific management in the northeast Atlantic, and low fecundity may leave bull huss vulnerable to overexploitation.
Returning them is the sensible default.
Records, Conservation Status and the Rules
The British shore record for bull huss sits just 2 lb 6 oz behind the boat record. The British Record Fish Committee list (updated June 2026) gives 19 lb 14 oz (9.015 kg) from the shore at Pwllheli, Gwynedd, in 1992 and 22 lb 4 oz (10.092 kg) from a boat at Minehead, Somerset, in 1986.
That boat weight will not be beaten. The BRFC froze its weight-based boat list in June 2024 and now accepts only length-based boat claims, to encourage release. Both the boat and shore length records for bull huss are open, with a qualifying length of 125 cm.
Bull huss are listed as Near Threatened or Vulnerable depending on the assessment; check the IUCN Red List for the current status. The Shark Trust adds that the species has minimal commercial importance and is mostly discarded as bycatch in northern Europe.
Before keeping one, check the current rules where you fish. In England that means the MMO and GOV.UK plus your local IFCA byelaws; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own authorities. Our sea fish minimum sizes guide explains where to look.
Frequently asked questions
Is a bull huss the same as a nursehound?
Yes. Bull huss, nursehound and greater spotted dogfish are all names for the same species, Scyliorhinus stellaris. "Huss" on its own is common angler shorthand.
Can you eat bull huss?
Yes, and it has been sold in UK fish shops under names such as rock salmon or rock. Given its Near Threatened or Vulnerable listing, returning them is the better choice.
Are bull huss dangerous?
Not to people in any meaningful way. The risks are the abrasive skin and the teeth when you unhook one. See the handling section above for safe unhooking.
What does a bull huss egg case look like?
It is a mermaid's purse about 33 to 37 mm wide and 89 to 125 mm long, not counting the thick curled tendrils at the corners. Cases are laid mostly in spring and summer and take up to about nine months to hatch, according to the Shark Trust. It is easily confused with the lesser spotted dogfish case.