Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Sparidae (Porgies)
Etymology: Spondyliosoma: Greek, spondylos = vertebra (1667) + Greek, soma = body (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 5 - 300 m (Ref. 3688). Subtropical, preferred 15°C (Ref. 107945); 63°N - 20°S, 26°W - 36°E
Eastern Atlantic: Scandinavia to northern Namibia (Ref. 11228), including the Strait of Gibraltar, Mediterranean and the Black Sea, Madeira, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 19.7 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 60.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4781); common length : 30.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4781); max. published weight: 1.2 kg (Ref. 40637)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 11;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 11-13. Body tall, with weak longitudinal stripes and no dark spots. Snout as long or longer than the eye diameter (Ref. 35388).
Found over seagrass beds and rocky and sandy bottoms to about 300 m (Ref. 3688). Gregarious, sometimes in large schools (Ref. 3688). Omnivorous, feeding on seaweeds and small invertebrates, especially crustaceans (Ref. 3688). Protogynic hermaphrodites (Ref. 4781). An important food fish.
Lays eggs on sandy bottom (Ref. 4781). Sex reversal occurs at approximately 24.3 cm TL in population from Algeria (Ref. 102321). Also Ref. 28504.
Bauchot, M.-L. and J.-C. Hureau, 1990. Sparidae. p. 790-812. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 3688)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
More information
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