Dentex Dentex dentex

Linnaeus, 1758

SPARIDAE FAMILY
Also called dentice, denton, or dente)

Occurs in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean from the Bay of Biscay to West Africa north off Cape Blanc and Madeira. Occasionally, dentex are found as far north as the British Isles and as far south as Senegal.

While inhabiting hard bottoms (rock or rubble) down to 200 m (656 ft), dentex are more commonly found between 15 and 50 m (50 and 165 ft). Adults are generally solitary, the young gregarious. They are active predatory fish that feed on fish, mollusks, and cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish, and squid). In the summer they approach the shore, but in winter migrate to deeper water.

The dentex have oval shaped rather deep bodies with a massive, smoothly rounded head in adults. Very large individuals have a profile with a slight frontal hump. Both jaws have well-developed canine like teeth plus several rows of smaller teeth of similar shape. The dorsal fin has 11 spines and 11 or 12 soft rays, the spines increasing in length from the first to the fourth or fifth then subequal. The lateral line has 62 68 scales. Color is variable but young are dentex are grayish, spotted with black on the back and upper sides, becoming pinkish with sexual maturity. Older individuals are bluish gray with spots becoming more or less diffuse with age. Some have a yellow tinge behind the mouth and on the gill cover.

They can be distinguished from other similar species by the dark spots, which are always present and the several rows of canine like teeth. Other species have more than one type of teeth or incisor like teeth.

Fishing methods include trolling with dead bait, live bait like mackerel, garfish, boga and squid or artificials such as rapalas in 10 to 50 m (33 to 165 ft). Bottom fishing in deeper waters with both live and dead bait such as anchovies, sardines, octopus or squid is also productive. They are very clever fish, needing small hooks and light leaders. A very popular game fish and esteemed table fish, they reportedly reach a weight of around 15 kg (33 lb)

Snapper (squirefish) Pagrus auratus

Bloch, Schneider formerly Chrysophrys auratus or Pagurus major

SPARIDAE FAMILY
Also called pink snapper,

Widely distributed off the southern half of Australia, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, and the northern two thirds of New Zealand.

To avoid confusion with snappers in the family Lutjanidae, the American Fisheries Society refers to Pagrus auratus as a squirefish. In Australia, the names cockney, red bream, squire, and snapper or pink snapper are used for progressively larger fish. The name old man snapper refers to very large individuals with a distinctive bony hump on the head and a fleshy bulge on the snout.

The coloration of fresh caught snapper is generally reddish pink with a golden sheen, but color varies somewhat with habitat. Reef dwelling fish are much darker reddish brown where open water fish are a brighter pink, and snapper from soft muddy bottoms can be pale silvery pink.

They inhabit a variety of habitats at all ages, and a moderate depth range as adults. They are coastal fish, commonly found from 20 100 meters but may be right at the surface or down to at least 656 ft (200 m). They reportedly attains a weight of 43 lb (19.5 kg).

Fishing methods vary from surfcasting and jetty fishing to drift fishing, jigging or anchoring and using burley either presented at the surface or attached to an anchor chain. Hooks vary with the size of the fish targeted, from 4/0 for small snapper to 8/0 for real monsters. The hook must be razor sharp for the hard mouthed snapper. They are omnivorous feeders, eating nearly any kind of marine animals, making bait selection fairly easy. Pilchards, skipjack tuna, kahawai, bonito, soldier crabs, or something tough like octopus or cuttlefish work well, but the best baits (and burley) should be reasonably fresh.

They are considered an excellent table fish in New Zealand and Australia

Seabream, gilthead Sparus aurata

Linnaeus, 1758

SPARIDAE FAMILY


Gilthead seabream are members of the porgy family; this family includes other popular species such as madai (Pagrus major) and squirefish (Pagrus auratus). They are found in the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic, from the British Isles down to the Cape Verde and Canary Islands. The species thrive in a variety of habitats, including seagrass beds, surf zones, and reefs in depths of up to 150 m. In spring, they often inhabit brackish water coastal lagoons and estuaries. They are equipped with a set of heavy molars, allowing them to feed on thick-shelled mollusks and crustaceans.

Gilthead seabream are valued for their tasty flesh, and can prove to be a difficult opponent for those who fish for them around rocks and other structure. They are utilized fresh and prepared in a variety of ways, including steamed, pan-fried, baked, and even microwaved

Madai Pagrus major

Temminck, Schlegel, 1843

SPARIDAE FAMILY
Also called red seabream, red porgy, red tail, silver seabream, Japanese seabream, tai

In Japan, seabream, in the family Sparidae, are referred to generally by the term "tai," while the red seabream is called madai, a name inferring that it is the "true tai."

Madai are found distributed throughout Japanese waters with the exception of the Eastern and Northern coasts of Hokkaido and the waters of the Ryukyu Archipelago. They continue southward to the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, the East China Sea, the South China Sea and Taiwan.

The body of the madai is robust, high and moderately compressed. The lower jaw is slightly shorter than the upper. The single dorsal fish has 12 strong spines with 10-12 soft rays and the spines are not elongated into filaments. The head and upper body are red/brown and the sides and belly silvery. Numerous small bright blue spots are scattered over the body. The fins are red or faint red. A narrow black margin and a pale lower lobe of the caudal fin are characteristic.

Madai are bottom living at depths of 10 to 200 m deep, often on rough grounds, sand and mud. Adult fish migrate into shallower water to spawn in late spring and summer. Juvenile fish occur mainly in the shallower seas. Madai reportedly attain a length of 130 cm (50 inches), but most fish caught are considerably smaller.

Fishing methods vary from surfcasting and jetty fishing to drift fishing, jigging or anchoring to chum. They feed on wide range of bottom-living invertebrates and also on fishes, so bait selection should be fairly easy.

The red color of the fish and flesh, the shape and taste of the madai are particularly appealing and it is a popular food fish throughout its range. It is particularly high priced in Japan where it is much sought for ceremonies and celebrations. The madai is important both as a game fish and to the Japanese fishing industry, where much of the catch is the product of aquaculture