Fish
Salema porgy
Sarpa salpa
(GSA7) Gulf of Lion, (GSA8) Corsica
Fishing zones
Wild
Origin
25 cm
Minimum size
Description
The body is oval, elongated, and laterally compressed, with a relatively short head and a blunt snout. Its coloration is distinctive: a silvery-gray to bluish background crossed by 10 to 12 bright yellow or golden longitudinal stripes extending from the head to the tail. There is a small black spot at the base of the pectoral fins. The eye is yellow/golden. The caudal fin (tail) is distinctly notched. It generally measures about 30 cm, but can reach a maximum length of 51 cm. It is one of the few herbivorous fish found along our coasts as an adult. It feeds on green algae and Posidonia leaves. Juveniles, on the other hand, are primarily carnivorous and consume small crustaceans.
Habitat
A marine and benthopelagic species (living near the seafloor while swimming in the open water). It is found primarily between 0 and 20 meters, although it can descend to depths of up to 70 meters. It prefers rocky or sandy seabeds covered with vegetation, particularly Posidonia (Posidonia oceanica) seagrass beds in the Mediterranean.
Distribution
It is widely distributed throughout the eastern Atlantic and its adjacent seas, from the Bay of Biscay to South Africa, including the islands of Madeira, the Canary Islands, and Cape Verde. It is very common throughout the Mediterranean Sea. It is also found, though more rarely, in the southern Black Sea.