Bony fish · Perciformes · Sparidae

Common Two-banded Seabream

Diplodus vulgaris

Least Concern

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

The sharpsnout seabream is an oval, silvery sparid with two broad black bands, one behind the head and one on the caudal peduncle. It lives on rocky bottoms and in Posidonia meadows of the Mediterranean and the nearby Atlantic, where it forms groups and eats invertebrates that it prises off the substrate.

Weight

up to 1.3 kg

Size

15 cm – 45 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Social structure

School

Gathers in coordinated schools, typical of fish.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanCarnivore In schools Fish Ocean

27countries 38parks5same family

Fun facts

GeneralIt is known by two black bars, one on the nape and one on the tail.
It is hermaphroditic: many individuals function first as males and later as females.
It is one of the commonest fish on Mediterranean coastal dives and approaches divers without fear.
It is a protandrous hermaphrodite: it matures first as a male and part of the population later changes to female.
It spawns between October and February, peaking in December and January, the opposite of most Mediterranean sea breams.
It is a euryhaline species that withstands large changes in salinity and reaches maturity without hormonal treatment, which makes it of interest for aquaculture.

Life cycle & biology

Habitat & environment: Rocky bottoms and Posidonia meadows
Sexual maturity: Length at first maturity 16.6 cm; in the Gulf of Gabès, 14.1 cm in females and 13.6 cm in males

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplodus_vulgaris