Blackspot seabream

For other uses, see Red seabream.

Blackspot seabream
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Acanthuriformes
Family:	Sparidae
Genus:	Pagellus
Species:	P. bogaraveo
Binomial name
Pagellus bogaraveo (Brünnich, 1768)
Synonyms [2]
Aurata bilunulata Risso, 1827 Labrus calops Lacepède, 1801 Pagellus breviceps Valenciennes, 1830 Pagrus bugaravella Asso, 1827 Pagellus cantabricus (Asso, 1801) Pagellus centrodontus (Delaroche, 1809) Pagellus curtus Rafinesque, 1810 Sparus bogaraveo Brünnich, 1768 Sparus brunnichii Shaw, 1803 Sparus cantabricus Asso, 1801 Sparus centrodontus Delaroche, 1809

The blackspot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo), also known as the red seabream or besugo, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the seabreams and porgies. It is widespread in the Eastern Atlantic from Norway to Mauritania, including Macaronesia and the western Mediterranean. It is an important species to fisheries, and overfishing has led to it being classified as Near Threatened.

Taxonomy

The blackspot seabream was first formally described as Sparus bogaraveo in 1768 by the Danish zoologist and mineralogist Morten Thrane Brünnich with its type locality given as Marseille ^[3] . It was subsequently moved to Pagellus. The genus Pagellus is placed in the family Sparidae, which is placed in the order Spariformes by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World ^[4] but in the order Acanthuriformes by the Catalog of Fishes. Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Pagellinae, ^[5] but neither Fishes of the World nor the Catalog of Fishes recognizes subfamilies within Sparidae. ^[4]

Etymology

The specific name bogaraveo is derived from the local common name for this species in Marseille, bogue-raveo. ^[6]

Description

The blackspot seabream has a moderately deep body, a rounded snout and large eyes whose diameter is greater than the length of the snout. It has small sharp teeth and larger, flatter teeth set into the sides of the jaws. It has a long dorsal fin with 12 spines in the anterior portion and 12–13 branched rays in the posterior portion. The shorter anal fin has 3 spines and 12–13 branched rays. The pectoral fins are relatively long and have pointed tips. The back and upper flanks are reddish in color and the lower part of the body is silvery with a pinkish tinge. ^[7] There is a black spot situated directly above the pectoral-fin base. The maximum recorded standard length is 70 centimetres (70 cm) but a more common standard length is 30 centimetres (30 cm). The largest published weight is 4 kg (8.8 lb). ^[2]

Distribution

The blackspot seabream is largely found in the waters of the eastern North Atlantic, from Norway to Cape Blanc in Mauritania. Its range extends into the western Mediterranean, as far as the Strait of Sicily and the Adriatic Sea. ^[1] It is also found around the Canary Islands and the Azores and has been recorded off Iceland. ^[2]

Habitat and biology

The blackspot seabream occurs in inshore waters above different types of substrates, including rock, sand and mud. It ranges down to 400 m (1,300 ft) in the Mediterranean and down to 700 m (2,300 ft) in the Atlantic. The young fish are found near the coast while the adults are found on the continental slope, particularly over areas with a muddy substrate. ^[2] The blackspot seabream is an omnivorous species, with a diverse diet of crustaceans, molluscs, small fish and plant matter. ^[7]

The blackspot seabream is a protoandrous hermaphrodite. Hence, early in the lifecycle of this species, all individuals are male; then, between the ages of 2 and 7, individuals may become female. ^[2] Maturity is reached at 4–5 years old, when the fish is about 22–25 cm (22–25 cm) in length. Spawning occurs throughout the year, with the peak being location-dependent. For example, it is August to October off the British Isles, but January to April in the Bay of Biscay. Farther south, the spawning peaks are in January to March off Morocco and in January to May in the Mediterranean. A female with standard length 31–41 cm (12–16 in) can lay 70,000–500,000 eggs. The blackspot seabream is a gregarious species which migrates to coastal waters to spawn. ^[8]

Relationship with humans

The blackspot seabream is an important food fish which is marketed fresh and frozen around the Mediterranean (but it also been used to produce fishmeal and oil). Fishing is done using trawls, trammel nets and bottom long lines. Fishing for this species is done on a semi-industrial basis or by artisanal fishermen; it is also a sport fish. It is regularly available in the fish markets of France, Spain, Morocco and mainland Italy, but is only occasionally found in fish markets in Sicily, Tunisia, Greece and Turkey. This species has shown declines in the stock and in the amounts landed, which has led the IUCN to classify this species as Near Threatened. ^[1] It is grown in aquaculture off Spain.

References

1. Carpenter, K.E.; Russell, B. (2014). "Pagellus bogaraveo". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014 e.T170244A1300216. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T170244A1300216.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Pagellus boaraveo". FishBase . December 2019 version.
3. Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Pagellus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 5 February 2024.
4. Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 502–506. doi:10.1002/9781119174844. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6. LCCN   2015037522. OCLC   951899884. OL   25909650M.
5. Parenti, P. (2019). "An annotated checklist of the fishes of the family Sparidae". FishTaxa. 4 (2): 47–98.
6. Christopher Scharpf (12 January 2024). "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 6): Families GERREIDAE, LETHRINIDAE, NEMIPTERIDAE and SPARIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
7. Alwyne Wheeler (1997). Pocket Guide to Saltwater Fishes of Britain and Europe. Parkgate Books Ltd. p. 102. ISBN   1-85585-364-7.
8. J.C. Hureau. "Red sea bream (Pagellus bogaraveo)". The fishes of the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean. Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved 14 March 2020.