Flexuous Picarel (Spicara flexuosum)
General data
- Main name: Flexuous Picarel
- Climates: Subtropical
- Habitat: Saltwater
- Native: Africa, Europe, Asia
- Distribution: Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Black sea, Atlantic Ocean
Classification
- Genus: Spicara - Spicara
- Family: Sparidae - Sea breams
- Order: Spariformes - Breams and porgies
- Class: Actinopteri - Ray-finned fishes
- Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
Description
Spicara flexuosum is a small marine fish belonging to the family Centracanthidae. It has an elongated, laterally compressed silvery body with several faint horizontal blue lines along the sides. Adults typically display a distinctive dark blotch on the upper side of the body below the dorsal fin. The species usually reaches 15–20 cm in length, although larger individuals may occur.
Distribution
The blotched picarel is native to the Mediterranean Sea and parts of the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Its range extends from Portugal and Spain southward to Morocco, including various Atlantic islands. It is widespread throughout the Mediterranean basin, including the Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean, and Levantine seas.
Habitat
Spicara flexuosum inhabits coastal marine waters over sandy, muddy, gravel, and seagrass-covered bottoms. It is commonly found around seagrass meadows and other areas with moderate vegetation. The species usually occurs at depths of 5–130 m, but is most abundant between 10 and 70 m. It often forms small schools and feeds on zooplankton and small benthic invertebrates.
Ocean System: Atlantic Ocean
Habitat Type: Marine, coastal waters
Depth Range: 5–130 m (commonly 10–70 m)
