New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌊 Marine Least Concern 🍽️ Edible 🎣 Game Fish 🌡️ Subtropical

Blackhead seabream

Acanthopagrus schlegelii Bleeker, 1854
Max Length
50 cm
Max Weight
3.2 kg
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.2
Depth
-
Climate
Subtropical
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
37.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Found in bays, shallow rocky reefs, and in brackish waters . Feeds on mollusks and polychaetes. Spawns in the spring and summer months . It is parasitised by the monogenean A. spari on the fins and body surface .

Scientific Name
Acanthopagrus schlegelii
Authority
Bleeker, 1854
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Subtropical
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
50 cm
Max Weight
3.2 kg
Trophic Level
3.2
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
37.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 11 - 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. : short and / or deep.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Blackhead seabream is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Blackhead seabream is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Size at Maturity
29.1cm TL

Sex change occurs at about 5 years of age .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 15 - ? m. Subtropical; 43°N - 20°N, 107°W - 143°W Northwest Pacific: southern Hokkaido, Japan to the southern Korean Peninsula, middle and north coast of the Republic of China and Taiwan.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌿 Brackish ⬇️ Benthic
Trophic Level
3.2±0.45
Food Items

mollusks and polychaetes

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.02089 × L2.99 (TL)
Max TL
50cm
Max Weight
3,200g
Dorsal Spines
12
Dorsal Rays
11
Anal Spines
3
Anal Rays
8

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2009

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
37.00/100
Moderate vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.2
Predator
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Described By
Bleeker, 1854

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Blackhead seabream is an edible species."

✗ Not for Raw
✓ Fresh Indicators
  • Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
  • Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
  • Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
  • Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
  • Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
✗ Avoid If
  • Cloudy or sunken eyes
  • Strong fishy or ammonia odour
  • Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
  • Discoloured or dry flesh
Best Cooking Methods
Baking Grilling Pan-frying

Nutrition

Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central

Nutrient Amount
Protein 19.5 g
Omega-3 (total) 279 mg

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Blackhead seabream has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

Best Choice
Healthy stocks, low impact
Good Alternative
Well-managed, minor concerns
Use Caution
Check sourcing and season
Avoid
Overfished or high impact

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Black porgy · Blackhead Seabream
🇯🇵Japanese Kurodai · クロダイ

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 2 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Blackhead seabream ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.