Red comb star (Lat. Astropecten aranciacus). It lives on sandy, muddy or gravel bottoms at depths of 2–100 metres (7–300 ft). It has superomarginal plates equipped with 1 to 3 small spines and inferomarginal plates with long, pointed, strong, regularly arranged spines. The inferomarginal spines have reddish-orange colour at the base and yellowish or white colour towards the tip. It buries itself in…

Mediterranean red sea star (Lat. Echinaster sepositus). It is found at depths of 1 to 250 m (3–820 ft) in a wide range of habitats, including rocky, sandy and muddy bottoms, and sea grass meadows. It has five relatively slender arms around a small central disc. It usually has a diameter of up to 20 cm (8 in), but can exceptionally reach up to 30 cm (12 in). It…

Purple starfish (Lat. Ophidiaster ophidianus). It is found on rocks from 5 to 25 m deep. It can reach 40 cm of a diameter, but usually is around 20 cm.  The central disc is small. It has five long arms, round in cross-section and of the same size nearly on its whole length slightly tappering at their end. On the arms, short respiratory papillae arranged…

Ornate wrasse (Lat. Thalassoma pavo). It lives on rocky beds with growths of algae and marine meadows, from surface waters to depths of 50 m. It can reach 25 cm (9.8 in) in lenght, though most do not exceed 20 cm (7.9 in). The females are greenish-brown with thin transversal streaks and five transversal blue bands. The males are yellowy-green with the same vertical streaks and a single…

Annular sea bream (Lat. Diplodus annularis). A coastal species that lives above the sandy and muddy bottom in shoals, less often rocky, and in seagrass meadows. It sets to a depth of 90 m and grows up to 24 cm (0.37 kg), usually 8-15 cm. The colour, bright silvery with a slight tendency to the yellow, gets more intense in…

Common two-banded sea bream (Lat. Diplodus vulgaris). Coastal species, leaves above different substrates but adults are common above rocky bottom. Haunts to 20 m deep and grows till 45 cm (1,3 kg), common 12-20 cm. It has two great vertical black bands: the first goes from the head to the beginning of the dorsal fin, and the second precedes the…

Giant goby (Lat. Gobius cobitis). Coastal and benthic species, leaves above rocky and bottom with vegetation to depth of 10 m, common 2-5 m deep. Grows till 27 cm (0.4 kg). It is is greyish to olive brown with ‘pepper and salt’ markings. These are especially notable in smaller specimens. In the breeding season the male is darker than the…

Giant tun (Lat. Tonna galea). Giant tun can grow to 30 cm and that makes him one of the biggest snails in the Adriatic Sea. Lives alone or in rare groups on soft and sandy or muddy bottom at a depth of 10-150 m. It feeds on echinoderms and other molluscs. The giant tun is also a luminescent species; this is an extremely rare…

Mediterranean slipper lobster (Lat. Scyllarides latus). Its colouration is a good camouflage for the rocky bottoms where it lives. Grows up to 45 cm and 2 kg, common 0.5 kg. Leaves to depth of 80 m. They have no claws, and have a second par of antennae which forms very wide lobes. It is nocturnal, emerging from caves and other shelters…