Annular Seabream
Diplodus annularis
Gilthead seabream
Sparus aurata
About
The gilthead seabream is a deep-bodied fish easy to spot by the gold band across its forehead. It grows up to 70 cm and is a familiar sight over sand and seagrass in the Mediterranean and nearby Atlantic waters.
- Length
- 35 cm · max 70 cm
- Weight
- max 17 kg
- Depth
- 1–30 m
How to tell it apart
It can be confused with other seabream such as Diplodus species. Look for the golden bar between the eyes — a fixed marking not found on similar seabream, unlike body colour, which can vary.
Appearance
This is a deep-bodied fish with a large head and small eyes set high, above a long snout. The back is blue-grey and the sides are silvery, with a large dark spot behind the eye on the gill cover and a red edge along that same cover. A golden bar crosses the head between the eyes. The jaws carry strong, blunt teeth suited to crushing shellfish.
Habitat
Gilthead seabream live over sandy bottoms and in seagrass beds, sometimes in the surf zone, from shallow water down to 150 m, most commonly between 1 and 30 m. Juveniles tend to stay in the shallower part of this range. The species also tolerates brackish water and moves into coastal lagoons and estuaries in spring, and it ranges from the northeastern Atlantic through the Mediterranean.
Behaviour
This is a sedentary fish, usually seen alone or in small groups rather than large schools. It feeds mainly on shellfish such as mussels and oysters, along with some plant material. All individuals start life as males, and some later develop ovaries and become female.
Did you know?
The species name aurata means 'golden' in Latin, a direct reference to the gold band it carries between its eyes.
Log it in Into the Blue
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