Bony fish · Perciformes · Serranidae

Sea Bass

Dicentrarchus labrax

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

It is one of the most important species in Mediterranean aquaculture, alongside the gilt-head bream.

Weight

6.6 kg on average

Size

40 cm – 60 cm

Lifespan

6 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

Moderate

Fun facts

It eats shrimp and molluscs, along with smaller fish such as herring and sandeel.
It lives in coastal waters, estuaries and river mouths of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
It releases up to 200,000 eggs per kg of female body weight, in successive batches.

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (fish)
Habitat & environment: Coastal waters, estuaries and river mouths of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean
Birth weight: Pelagic larva after hatching from the egg
Size at birth: Pelagic larva at hatching
Sexual maturity: Male: 4-7 years | Female: 5-8 years
Gestation / incubation: Pelagic spawner: the eggs hatch in 4-6 days
Litter / clutch size: ~200,000 eggs per kg of female body weight, released in batches