Fish
Common pandora
Pagellus erythrinus
Out of season
—
Fishing zones
Wild
Origin
15 cm
Minimum size
Description
Its body is elongated to oval in shape, slightly compressed. Its dominant color is a shiny silvery pink, with small sparkling blue spots on the sides (most visible on fresh specimens). It has a characteristic carmine-red spot on the upper edge of the operculum (the plate covering the gills). The snout is pointed and at least twice as long as the diameter of the eye. Unlike the common sea bream, the tips of its caudal fin are not white. On average 20 to 30 cm, but it can reach a maximum size of 60 cm. Omnivorous with a carnivorous preference. It feeds mainly on benthic invertebrates (worms, mollusks, small crustaceans) and small fish.
Habitat
A benthopelagic marine fish (lives near the bottom but can swim in open water). It is found on a variety of substrates: sand, mud, gravel, rocks, and Posidonia seagrass beds. Juveniles often prefer sandy coastal bottoms. It generally inhabits depths between 20 and 100 meters, although it can descend to depths of up to 300 meters (particularly in winter in the Atlantic).
Distribution
It has a very wide distribution in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. From Norway (less common further north) to Guinea-Bissau, including Madeira, the Canary Islands, and the Cape Verde Islands. Very common throughout the Mediterranean, as well as in the Black Sea.