Scientific Name
Dentex dentex

Common Name
Common dentex

Biology
Inhabit hard bottoms (rock or rubble) down to 200 m depth. Usually found in shallow water less than 50 m deep (Ref. 9987). Adults solitary; young gregarious (Ref. 12482). Young fish caught with traps. Feed on fish, mollusks and cephalopods. Important food fish. Marketed fresh or frozen (Ref. 9987). Some attempts to culture this species have been successful. Due to low market supply, the potential for selling these fish from aquaculture operations seems to be good (Ref. 9987). A spear-fisherman cites a specimen caught in Greece (Corfu) with an overnight bottom-line about 1.60 m and 42 kg (Ref. 48271), but the identification cannot be verified.

Classification

Classified By

Linnaeus, 1758

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Porgies (Sparidae)

Distribution

Region

Eastern Atlantic

Distribution

Eastern Atlantic: British Isles to Cape Blanc, Mauritania; (exceptionally further south) Senegal and around the Canary Islands and Madeira. Common south of 40?N (Spain, North Africa) in the Mediterranean (Ref. 4781).

Range

56°N - 12°N, 23°W - 42°E

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

200 m

Zone

benthopelagic

Environment

Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 0 - 200 m (Ref. 3688), usually 15 - 50 m (Ref. 54220)

Trophic Level

4.5 s.e. 0.70 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

100.0 cm

Common Length

50.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5005 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes

Vulnerability

High to very high vulnerability (67 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.1; tm=2-3)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated