Bony fish · Perciformes · Sparidae

Gilthead

Sparus aurata

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It is a protandrous hermaphrodite: every fish is born functionally male and switches to female between the ages of two and three.

Weight

up to 9.5 kg

Size

35 cm – 65 cm

Lifespan

11 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Fun facts

It has molar-like teeth specialised for crushing the shells of bivalves and crustaceans.
It is one of the most important species in Mediterranean aquaculture.
It lives in coastal waters, lagoons and estuaries of the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic.

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (fish)
Habitat & environment: Coastal waters, lagoons and estuaries of the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, from the United Kingdom to Cape Verde
Birth weight: Pelagic larva after hatching from the egg
Size at birth: Pelagic larva at hatching
Sexual maturity: ~2-3 years
Litter / clutch size: Up to 0.5-2 times its own body weight in eggs each season

Sources consulted: ResearchGate; Cambridge Core; World Species; IUCN GISD; PMC