Sand steenbras (Lithognathus mormyrus)

Scientific name: Lithognathus mormyrus Linnaeus, 1758

Sand steenbras (Lithognathus mormyrus)

The Sand steenbras (Lithognathus mormyrus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Sparidae.

Biology

Found on the shelf, over sandy and muddy bottoms as well as seagrass-beds and estuaries. Gregarious, sometimes forming sizeable schools. Feeds on worms, mollusks and small crustaceans. Protandric hermaphrodite. Flesh excellent; sold fresh and dried.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Lithognathus mormyrus
Family
Sparidae (Porgies)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
55.0
Common length
30.0
Depth range
0–150 m (0–492 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 0 - 150 m, usually 10 - 20 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: Bay of Biscay, Strait of Gibraltar and Mediterranean, Black, and Azov seas to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa and the Mozambique Channel. Also found around the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Madeira Is. Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea; southern Mozambique to the Cape of Good Hope; not found in tropical east Africa.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.24; tm=2)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated