Common pandora | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Spariformes |
Family: | Sparidae |
Genus: | Pagellus |
Species: | P. erythrinus |
Binomial name | |
Pagellus erythrinus | |
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Distribution of Pagellus erythrinus | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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The common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus), also known as king of the breams, pandorared pandora or Spanish seabream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is an esteemed food fish.
The common pandora was first formally described as Sparus erythrinus by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae published in 1758 with its type locality given as the Mediterranean and America. [3] The genus Pagellus is placed in the family Sparidae within the order Spariformes by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World . [4] Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Pagellinae, [5] but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sparidae. [4]
The common pandora has the specific name erythrinus which means “red”, a reference to the pinkish colour of this fish. [6]
The common pandora has an oval, compressed body with a straight dorsal profile to the head. The eye has a diameter that is clearly shorter than the length of the snout. The scales on the head extend forward to the level of the front edge of the eyes. The cheeks are scaled while the preoperculum is naked. The fleshy lipped mouth is low and slightly oblique and there are pointed teeth in the front of the jaws while the teeth in the rear of the jaws are molar-like with a band of numerous comb-like teeth inside them. The upper jaw has 2 or 3, sometimes 4, rows of molars while the lower jaws have 2, infrequently 3 rows. The dorsal fin is supported by 12 spines and 10 or 11 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 8 or 9 soft rays. [7] The overall colour is bright pink with a scattering of small blue spots on the upper flanks. The upper margin of the gill cover is carmine and there is a reddish spot on the base of the pectoral fin. There is sometimes a dark red mark at the rear end of the dorsal fin. [8] The common pandora has a maximum published total length of 60 cm (24 in), although 25 cm (9.8 in) is more typical, and a maximum published weight of 3.2 kg (7.1 lb). [2]
The common pandora has a wide range along the eastern shores of the Atlantic Ocean, from the coast of West Africa from Guinea Bissau north to the Strait of Gibraltar including Cape Verde, Madeira and the Canary Islands, throughout the Mediterranean Sea and into the western Black Sea and extends northward in the North Sea as far as Norway. [1] In terms of genetic diversity, there appears to be a high level of connectivity from the Atlantic through the Mediterranean. [9] This demersal fish occurs at depths down to 300 m (980 ft), although it is typically found no deeper than 100 m (330 ft), over sand, mud, rock and gravel substrates. Young fish are found farther inshore than the adults. [7]
The common pandora is a protogynous hermaphroditism in which the females change sex to become males when they reach lengths between 12.8 and 20.3 cm (5.0 and 8.0 in). [10] This sex change typically when they are 3-4 years old, [7] however, this is not always true as small males and even large females are often recorded. The spawning season for this species runs from April to September, peaking in May and June. However, the peak spawning period varies from region to region. [10]
A study in the central Adriatic Sea found that the prey of common pandora came from seven major groups, these were decapod crustaceans, bivavlves, polychaetes, krill, bony fishes, mysids and cephalopods. The most important prey found in the stomachs were decapods, particularly in medium-sized specimens while both decapods and bony fishes were the dominant prey in larger fish with a total length in excess of 21 cm (8.3 in) while the smallest fishes, with total lengths between 13 and 21 cm (5.1 and 8.3 in) ate mainly polychaetes. Overall the most frequent prey were the shrimps Alpheus dentipes and Processa canaliculata and the polychaete worm Aphrodite aculata . [11]
As most fishes, the common pandora harbours a variety of parasites; for example, the nematode Philometra filiformis is a parasite of the ovary of this fish. [12]
The common pandora is an important target species for fisheries in the Mediterranean and Atlantic and there are indications that the stocks are being overfished in a number of areas of the Mediterranean. In Italy this species is one of the most important species of Sparid landed but the total landing has declined fron 1,900 t (1,900 long tons; 2,100 short tons) in 2004 to 850 t (840 long tons; 940 short tons) in 2010. The EU has set a minimum size limit for this species being landed of a total length of 150 mm (5.9 in). [13] Theis fish is caught using fish traps in the Canary Islands as well as bottom trawls, beach seines, line gears, trammel nets and gill nets. The fish landed are found in markets throughout the Mediterranean as the fish is highly valued, and is sold fresh or preserved as smoked fish, frozen fish and dried and salted fish, as well as being used to make fish meal and fish oil. It is alos an important quarry for recreational anglers. [1]
Sparidae is a family of ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Spariformes, the sea breams and porgies, although they were traditionally classified in the order Perciformes. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters around the world and are demersal carnivores.
Pagellus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. These fishes are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the western Indian Ocean.
Lithognathus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. Species in this genus are given the common name of steenbras. The genus is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean from southwestern Europe to South Africa and into the southwestern Indian Ocean.
The common dentex is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a highly valued food fish and is an important target species for fisheries and the population has shown large declines leading the International Union for Conservation of Nature to classify its conservation status as Vulnerable.
The common torpedo, also known as ocellate torpedo or eyed electric ray, is a species of electric ray in the family Torpedinidae. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the Bay of Biscay to Angola, and is a benthic fish typically encountered over soft substrates in fairly shallow, coastal waters. Growing to 60 cm (24 in) long, this species has a nearly circular pectoral fin disc and a short, thick tail with two dorsal fins of nearly equal size and a large caudal fin. It can be identified by the prominent blue spots on its back, which usually number five but may vary from zero to nine, as well as by the small knobs on the rims of its spiracles.
Lagodon is a monospecific genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. The only species in the genus is Lagodon rhomboides, the pinfish, red porgy, bream, pin perch, sand perch, butterfish or sailor's choice. This fish is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
Porgy is the common name in Australia for any fish which belongs to the family Sparidae. They are also called bream. Porgies live in shallow temperate marine waters and are bottom-dwelling carnivores. Most species possess grinding, molar-like teeth. They are often good eating fish, particularly the gilt-head bream and the dentex.
The saddled seabream, also called the saddle bream or oblade, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Oblada. This species is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean. It is an important food fish within its range.
Merluccius merluccius, the European hake, is a merluccid hake of the genus Merluccius. Other vernacular names include Cornish salmon and herring hake. It is a predatory species which was often netted alongside one of its favoured prey, the Atlantic herring, thus the latter common name. It is found in the eastern Atlantic from the Norway and Iceland south to Mauritania and into the Mediterranean Sea. It is an important species in European fisheries and is heavily exploited with some populations thought to be being fished unsustainably.
Pagellus bellottii, the red pandora, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the sea breams and porgies. This species is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
Diplodus sargus, the white seabream or sargo is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea. It is a target species for commercial fisheries and is grown in aquaculture. D. sargussensu lato was formerly thought to be a widespread species in the eastern Atlantic and western Indian Oceans but the taxa outside of D, sargussensu stricto are now recognised as valid species and are part of the D. sargus species complex.
Diplodus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. These fishes are found in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the western Indian Ocean.
The blackspot seabream, also known as the red seabream and as the besugo, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This is a widespread species in the Eastern Atlantic from Norway to Mauritania, including Macaronesia and the western Mediterranean. It is an important species to fisheries, although overfishing has led to this species being classified as Near Threatened.
Diplodus vulgaris, the common two-banded sea bream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. It is an important species for fisheries and is grown in aquaculture.
Dentex is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. The fishes in this genus are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
The sand steenbras or striped seabream is a species of marine fish in the family Sparidae. It is found in shallow water in the Mediterranean Sea and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from France to South Africa. It also occurs in the Red Sea and off the coast of Mozambique in the Indian Ocean. The IUCN has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Diplodus annularis, the annular seabream is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, the family which includes the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean.
Pagellus acarne, the axillary seabream or Spanish seabream is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This fish is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
Pagellus natalensis, the Natal pandora, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the southwestern Indian Ocean.
Evynnis ehrenbergii is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. This species is found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.