Depth
Spicara · Bony Fish

Picarel

Spicara smaris

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 smaris

Bony Fish

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationSmall, elongated body with a highly protrusible mouth. Silver body with a blue-green back and a thin dark lateral stripe. Males develop blue markings during breeding season.
  • SizeUp to 20 cm total length, commonly 10 to 15 cm.
  • Social HabitHighly gregarious, forming large midwater schools above reefs and seagrass beds.
  • HabitatRocky reefs, seagrass meadows, and sandy bottoms. Schools hover in midwater above the substrate.
  • Depth5 to 100 m, most common between 15 and 60 m.
  • Feeds OnZooplankton and tiny benthic invertebrates caught with its extensible mouth.
  • DistributionMediterranean Sea and adjacent eastern Atlantic.
  • DescriptionOne of the most numerous fish on Mediterranean reefs, forming silvery clouds above rocky structures. The picarel has a remarkably protrusible mouth that can extend forward to snatch individual plankton items. A protogynous hermaphrodite closely related to the blotched picarel.

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.

Picarel species card

Biology

Behaviour & Diet

Feeding Strategy

A planktivore that feeds on small crustaceans and zooplankton in the water column, picking individual items with precision.

Planktivore

Reproduction

A protogynous hermaphrodite: individuals begin life as female and may transition to male. Spawns pelagic eggs in spring and summer.

Hermaphrodite

Behaviour & Defence

Forms large, tightly packed schools that confuse predators through collective movement and the flash of silvery flanks.

Schooling

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Where to Encounter in Malta

The following dive sites offer strong habitat match for Spicara smaris. 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