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Gilthead sea bream (Lat. Sparus aurata). Coastal species whose leaves in small schools above sandy, sandy-rocky bottom and meadows of Posidonia sp. Grows till 70 cm (10 kg), common 20-50 cm. From spring to autumn leaves in brackish waters. The back is grey, and along the silvery sides, we note, especially in the juveniles, some longitudinal lines. On the head, between the eyes, is remarkable a typical golden band, which gives the name to the species, emphasized by the near presence of a black band. The iris of the eye is yellow. Feeds with molluscs (especially with shellfish), crabs, fish and algae. It can lay 20,000-80,000 eggs in the spawning period! It catches by trawls, long-lining and handline. The gilthead sea bream is a highly admired food fish that is caught in the Mediterranean Sea in between the range of 6100-9600 tonnes and is one of the most important commercial species in Montenegro.
Local name
Orada
English name
Gilthead sea bream
Scientific name
Sparus aurata
Did you know?
She can lay 20,000-80,000 eggs in the spawning period!
Weight
Up to 10 kg
Length
Up to 0.7 m
Life span
11 years
Nutrition
Feeds with molluscs (especially with shellfish), crabs, fish and algae
Type of diet
Omnivorous
IUCN vulnerability status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
Distribution
It is present in the whole Mediterranean, Black Sea included, where, however, its population is rather modest, and, after Gibraltar Strait, it is found along the eastern Atlantic coast, from England to Mauritania, including the Azores, Cape Verde, Madeira and Canary Islands.