Bony fish · Perciformes · Sparidae

Saupe

Sarpa salpa

Least Concern

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

Weight

up to 1.5 kg

Size

up to 51 cm

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Social structure

School

Gathers in coordinated schools, typical of fish.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Fun facts

GeneralA plant-eater; at certain times of year its flesh can cause hallucinations if eaten.
fisiologíaIt is a mainly plant-eating fish whose occasional consumption has historically been linked to mild, short-lived hallucinations, a phenomenon known as ichthyoallyeinotoxism.
alimentaciónIt is one of the few Mediterranean fish that is mainly a plant-eater as an adult, living on algae and seagrass, unlike most of the carnivorous rock fish.
It is a protandrous hermaphrodite: it matures as a male and changes to female on passing about 25 cm.
The juveniles are carnivorous and eat crustaceans; the adults are almost entirely herbivorous and graze algae and seagrass.
It forms very tight shoals that move in coordination over the meadows.

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)
Habitat & environment: Seagrass meadows and shallow rocky bottoms
Sexual maturity: Length at first maturity 16.5 cm; in the Canary Islands males mature at around 22.6 cm and 2 years old and females at around 29.4 cm and 3 years old

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