The spotted seabass (Dicentrarchus punctatus) is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Moronidae, the temperate basses. This species is found in the marine and brackish waters of the coastal eastern Atlantic Ocean from the English Channel to the Canary Islands and Senegal, as well as through the Mediterranean Sea.
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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starts withThe spotted seabass can grow up to a size of about 70 cm (28 in); however, it usually only reaches a size of about 30 cm (12 in). It is a silver-grey fish covered in black spots and also has a blue back whilst alive. These black spots are only found on the adults; as well, the opercle has a rather large black spot.
The spotted seabass generally lives in brackish water at depths below approximately 30 m (98 ft). It generally lives in subtropical waters, ranging from the coast of Brittany in the north to the coast of Africa and the Canary Islands in the south and also encompassing almost all of the coastline of the eastern Mediterranean Sea and going as far west as the Azores.
The spotted seabass is almost exclusively carnivorous. Its diet is largely composed of shrimp and molluscs; additionally, it at times eats smaller fish than itself. The spotted seabass breeds at various times based on geography; in the Mediterranean it generally spawns from January until March whereas in the English Channel and other northern areas this range is from March until May..mw-parser-output.side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:#f9f9f9;display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output.side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output.side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output.side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output.side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output.side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output.side-box-text{flex:1}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output.side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output.side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output.side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}
