Annular seabream
📖 Overview
Inhabit chiefly Zostera seagrass beds but also found on Posidonia beds and sandy bottoms, rarely on rocky bottoms. Carnivorous, feed on worms, crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms and hydrozoans. The sexes are separated, although these fish are potential hermaphrodites; certain individuals are protandric .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 11 - 12. : fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Annular seabream is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
Normally sexes are separate but some individuals are protandrous due to geographical variation in sexual pattern . However, histological studies confirm no degenerating functional tissue of one sex (e.g. vitellogenic or later-stage follicles) and no proliferation of tissue of the other sex can be found on this species indicating the absence of sex change. This particular condition is also known as nonfunctional hermaphroditism previously known as rudimentary hermaphroditism . Also Ref. 28504.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; brackish; benthopelagic; depth range 0 - 90 m . Subtropical; 49°N - 27°N, 19°W - 42°E found along the coast of Portugal northward to the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean, Black Sea and Sea of Azov (Ref.
🌿 Ecology
worms, crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms and hydrozoans
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🎣 Angling Guide
- medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
- 30-50 lb braid
- fluorocarbon leader
- grass flats
- oyster bars
- marsh drains
- deeper channel edges
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Annular seabream is an edible species."
- 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
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 19.3 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 427 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Annular seabream has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (lean white fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Annular bream · Annular sea bream · Annular seabream · Gilthead |
| 🏳️Catalan | esparrall · pinta |
| 🌍CES | mořan světlopruhý |
| 🌍COS | spirlettu |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Sorthalet havrude · ringhavrude |
| 🇩🇪German | Ringelbrasse |
| 🌍ELL | Σπάρος |
| 🌍EUS | muxar buztanbeltz |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | rengassargi |
| 🇫🇷French | Sargue · Sparaillon · Sparaillon Commun · sargue annulaire |
| 🌍HEB | סרגוס הטבעת |
| 🇭🇷Croatian | špar |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Sarago sparaglione · Sparaglione |
| 🌍KAT | ზღვის კარასი |
| 🌍MLT | Sparlu · Sparlu tan-nejba |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Diplodus annularis · Geringde zeebrasem |
| 🇵🇱Polish | Prazma |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Sargo-alcorraz |
| 🌍RON | Sparos |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Ласкирь · Морской карась |
| 🌍SLV | Spar · srebrni špar |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Raspallón · Sargo · esparrallón |
| 🌍SQI | Sargu bishtzi · spari bishtzi |
| 🌍SRP | Spar |
| 🇸🇪Swedish | svartstjärtad Havsruda |
| 🌍TUR | isparoz · İspari |
| 🌍UKR | Ласкир · Морський карась кільчастий · Морський карась європейський |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 尾斑重牙鯛 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sargus annularis | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Sciaena melanura | Pallas | 1814 | Synonym |
| Sparus annularis | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Sparus sparlotus | Rafinesque | 1810 | Synonym |
| Sparus sparulus | Lacepède | 1802 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 43 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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