Depth
Spicara · Bony Fish

Blotched Picarel

Spicara maena

0-40m
Depth Range
Variable
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
0-40m
Depth Range
Variable
Max Size
Reef & Open
Habitat
Carnivore
Diet
Solitary
Social
LC
IUCN Status
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Genus Spicara
Species maena

Bony Fish

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationSmall, elongated body with a highly protrusible mouth. Silver-grey body with a distinctive dark blotch on each flank. Blue-green back. Males develop brighter colours during breeding.
  • SizeUp to 25 cm total length, commonly 12 to 18 cm.
  • Social HabitHighly gregarious, forming large midwater schools above reefs and seagrass beds.
  • HabitatRocky reefs, seagrass meadows, and sandy bottoms. Schools hover in midwater and descend to feed on the bottom.
  • Depth5 to 150 m, most common between 15 and 60 m.
  • Feeds OnZooplankton, small crustaceans, and tiny benthic invertebrates caught using its protrusible mouth.
  • DistributionEastern Atlantic from Portugal to Morocco and throughout the Mediterranean Sea.
  • DescriptionOne of the most abundant fish on Mediterranean reefs, forming shimmering schools that hover above rocky structures. The blotched picarel is a protogynous hermaphrodite, beginning life as a female. Its highly extensible mouth can shoot forward to snatch plankton from the water column.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

Found across the Mediterranean, inhabiting reef & open environments. Active from the surface down to 40m depth.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Reef & Open habitats, typically at depths of 0-40m. Most commonly encountered by divers at the shallower end of its range.

Encounter Tips

Best approached slowly and calmly. Avoid casting shadows directly over the animal. Neutral buoyancy and patience increase encounter success significantly.

Blotched Picarel species card

Biology

Behaviour & Diet

Behaviour & Defence

Protected by sharp spines that deter predators. Handle with care -- spines can cause injury even after death.

Defensive

Dive with diveshack

Where to Encounter in Malta

The following dive sites offer strong habitat match for Spicara maena. All are accessible on a guided dive with diveshack.

5-30m
North Malta

Cirkewwa

Rocky reef with caves, arches and ledges hosting a rich diversity of reef species.

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5-50m
Gozo

Blue Hole

One of the Med's most famous reef dive sites. Rocky walls and archways covered in life.

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18-36m
South Malta

Um El Faroud

The wreck lies on a sandy bottom surrounded by rocky reef -- a diverse habitat attracting reef species.

View dive site ›
IUCN Red List Least Concern

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes to prey availability.

Source: iNaturalist Guide #888
by Lesley Clements (CC BY-SA)
diveshack Mediterranean Marine Life guide