Saddled Seabream

Bony Fish

Identification & Biology

• IdentificationElongated, oval body with a small head. Silver-grey body with a distinctive large dark spot on the caudal peduncle and a dark band across the forehead. Dark eye. Mouth is small.
• SizeUp to 30 cm total length, commonly 15 to 22 cm.
• Social HabitHighly gregarious, forming large, fast-moving schools in midwater above rocky reefs and along walls.
• HabitatRocky reefs, drop-offs, and open water near structures. One of the most common schooling fish on Mediterranean reefs.
• Depth1 to 70 m, most common between 3 and 30 m.
• Feeds OnZooplankton, algae, and small invertebrates. Feeds both in midwater and near the substrate.
• DistributionEastern Atlantic from the Bay of Biscay to South Africa, including the entire Mediterranean Sea.
• DescriptionOne of the most commonly seen schooling seabream on Mediterranean dives. Large, fast-moving schools patrol reef edges and walls, their silver bodies flashing in the light. The dark spot on the tail and the band across the forehead make identification straightforward. A familiar and welcome sight on any Mediterranean reef dive.