Description: Body deep, strongly compressed. Caudal peduncle as long as deep. Head deep, with dorsal profile flat or convex over the eyes. Mouth large and very protractile. Very long rays on the first dorsal fin. Pectoral fins short; pelvic fins at least twice as long. Body covered with very small, rudimentary scales, appearing naked. Scutes with spines present along the belly. A row of bucklers along the the bases of the dorsal and anal fins. Light coloured, golden greyish green or silvery bronze, with a large dark circular spot on each flank surrounded by a yellow ring.
Global Distribution: Eastern Atlantic from Norway to South Africa, also the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 90.0 cm (total length); common length 40.0 cm (TL); maximum published weight 8.0 kg.
Reproduction: Reproduction takes place at the end of winter and at the start of spring in the northeastern Atlantic; earlier in the Mediterranean. Eggs are pelagic.
Maturity: 36.2 cm, range 29 - 35 cm. Maturity reached at 4 years.
Behavioural ecology: Generally solitary, can also be found in small groups.
Population structure & migrations:
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 5 - 400 m, usually 50 - 150 m.
Habitat: Benthopelagic. Found in areas close to the seabed.
Feeding habits: Feeds mainly on schooling bony fishes, occasionally on cephalopods and crustaceans.
Trophic level: FishBase: 4.5
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Commercial species.
Conservation status: Global: Not evaluated.
Europe: Data deficient.
Nutritional information & food safety:
Proximate composition per 100 g:
energy value 89 kcal (4.5% DRV)
protein 19.0 g (38.0% DRV)
fat 1.4 g (2.0% DRV)
of which saturates 0.5 g (2.5% DRV)
carbohydrates 0 g
sodium 60 mg (2.5% DRV)
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Holland B., Brown J., Buss D.H. (1993). Fish and Fish Products. The third supplement to McCance & Widdowson's The Composition of Foods (5th Edition). Royal Society of Chemistry and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, United Kindgom, 135 pp.
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
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Rosa A., Menezes G., Melo O., Pinho M.R. (2006). Weight–length relationships of 33 demersal fish species from Azores archipelago. Fisheries Research, 80(2): 329-332.
Torres M.A., Ramos F., Sobrino I. (2012). Length–weight relationships of 76 fish species from the Gulf of Cadiz (SW Spain). Fisheries Research, 127: 171-175.
