The red gurnard, like others in this family has a sloping, hard bony head with spines on it and the gill plates. It has a stocky, tapered body with large scales along the lateral line.
The grey gurnard has a slim, tapered body with the typical gurnard hard head and feeler like pectoral fin rays. The lateral line has a series of bony knobs along its length.
The common eel has a round, elongated body and a continuous dorsal fin which joins with the ventral fin at the tail. The dorsal fin starts well down its back, near to the vent than the gills and the pectoral fin is rounded.
The catfish or wolf fish is a long bodied species with no pelvic fins. The dorsal and anal fins are long with the dorsal starting above the gill plate.
While the red bream has the basic bream family shape it is not as deep bodied as some and has a rounded head. It has large eyes and long pectoral fins.
The gilthead bream has the typical deep, flat profile bream shape. It has a distinct bump on the head above the gills. The front teeth are sharp and pointed whereas the others are flat for crushing.