ExploreFish

Gilthead Seabream

Sparus aurata

Gilthead Seabream is a shiny fish known for its tasty meat. They are often found in warm coastal waters!

Habitat: Warm coastal waters

Appearance

The Gilthead Seabream has a distinctive silvery body with a darker back. Its most striking feature is a prominent golden-yellow stripe between its eyes, resembling a crown. A dark spot can also be seen near its gill cover.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassActinopterygiiOrderPerciformesFamilySparidaeGenusSparus

Gilthead Seabream

Interesting facts

Ancient Romans used to farm these delicious fish in special saltwater ponds!

Gilthead Seabream have super strong jaws and teeth for crunching tough shells!

Its golden stripe gives it the nickname 'gilt-head,' meaning golden head!

This fish starts its life as a boy, but can turn into a girl when it gets older!

Special abilities

Gilthead Seabream has strong jaws and flat, molar-like teeth that help them crush tough mollusc and crustacean shells.

Gilthead Seabream can change sex, starting as male and later becoming female, helping them maximize reproduction.

Gilthead Seabream can tolerate varied water salinities, which helps them thrive in estuaries and coastal lagoons.

Measurements & details

Length: 30-70 cm
Weight: 0.5-10 kg
Lifespan: 5-11 years
Swim Speed: 10 km/h
Max Depth: 150 m
Water Type: Saltwater

Diet & Feeding

This fish crunches on crabs and clams with its strong teeth, but also eats plants!

Primary Foods

crabs
mussels
clams
shrimp
small fish
marine algae

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

hunts

Mediterranean Mussel

Mytilus galloprovincialis

Crushes and eats their hard shells.

hunts

Common Shore Crab

Carcinus maenas

Preys on these crabs with strong jaws.

eaten by

Dusky Grouper

Epinephelus marginatus

Smaller Gilthead Seabream are prey for larger groupers.

Traits

Wildlife

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Social

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Colorful

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Piscivorous

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Coastal

Discover life found along the edges where land meets the sea! These habitats are always changing with the tides and waves, offering unique environments.