Description: A medium-sized gurnard, with elongate body and large head covered with bony plates. Two separate dorsal fins. The pectoral fins have three rays free, detached from the remaining. Lateral line scales plate-like, expanded vertically. Breast and anterior part of the belly scaleless. Bright red dorsally; pale below; pelvic fins pink, anal fin with white base; pectoral and dorsal fins yellow.
Global Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: British Isles to Mauritania, including Madeira and Azores. Also throughout the Mediterranean and possibly in the Black Sea. View Map
Behavioural ecology: Occasionally forms schools. They can emit growling or grunting sounds using the swimbladder.
Population structure & migrations:
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 15 - 400 m, usually 30 - 250 m.
Habitat: Demersal. Found over sand, gravel and rocks on the continental or insular shelf.
Feeding habits: Feeds on benthic crustaceans, other invertebrates and bottom-dwelling fishes. It uses the free pectoral rays to search for food.
Trophic level: FishBase: 3.9
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Not commercial.
Conservation status: Global: Not evaluated.
Europe: Least concern.
Nutritional information & food safety:
Proximate composition per 100 g:
energy value 196.0 kcal (9.8% DRV)
protein 19.8 g (39.6% DRV)
fat 6.9 g (9.9% DRV)
Hureau J.-C., ed. (1984-1985). Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO. Accessed through: Marine Species Identification Portal. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://species-identification.org (2014).
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
Mendes B., Fonseca P., Campos A. (2004). Weight–length relationships for 46 fish species of the Portuguese west coast. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 20(5): 355-361.
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Spitz J., Mourocq E. Schoen V., Ridoux V. (2010). Proximate composition and energy content of forage species from the Bay of Biscay: high- or low-quality food? ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67(5): 909-915.
