Scientific name : Dicentrarchus punctatus

 

Family : Moronidae (temperate basses, 6 species)
Size : Up to 70 cm
Distribution : North-east Atlantic, from Senegal to Brittany, with a strong presence in the Mediterranean

 

Biology : The spotted seabass tolerates many living conditions; it may occasionally settle in estuaries and harbors. It is almost exclusively carnivorous and it is also known as the “sea wolf” due to its great voracity.

 

IUCN status : Least concern

 

Scientific name : Balistes capriscus

 

Family : Balistidae (the triggerfish, 40 species)
Size : Up to 60 cm
Distribution : East and West Atlantic, Mediterranean, Caribbean

 

Biology : The triggerfish has two robust spines, one dorsal and one ventral, enabling it to wedge itself between rocks, making it very difficult for predators to dislodge.
Its powerful teeth enable it to feed on particularly hard-shelled prey.
Very territorial, the triggerfish is particularly aggressive in defending its spawning site, regularly biting unwary bathers.

 

IUCN status : Vulnerable

 

Scientific name : Conger conger

 

Family : Congridae (conger eels and garden eels, 197 species)
Size : Up to 210 cm
Distribution : European coasts, from Iceland to the Mediterranean sea

 

Biology : Often found in association with the common moray eel, with which it often shares the same cavities. Like the moray eel, it is a predator of cephalopods, crustaceans and fish.
The conger eel only reproduces once in its lifetime, as the development of its gonads is to the detriment of its vital organs. It then migrates to a depth of more than 1 000 m, where reproduction takes place, which is still relatively poorly understood today.

 

IUCN status : Least concern

 

Scientific name : Scorpaena notata

 

Family : Scorpaenidae (scorpionfishes, 231 species)
Size : Up to 26 cm
Distribution : Throughout the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in the Bay of Biscay and West Africa

 

Biology : The small red scorpion fish hunts on the prowl, feeding on small fish and crustaceans. Its red colour and rough skin allow it to blend in perfectly with the coralligenous seabed.
Coralligenous seabeds are rocky seabeds bathed in a slight half-light, teeming with corals, gorgonians and red calcareous algae. This is the typical living environment of Mediterranean red coral.

 

IUCN status : Least concern

 

Scientific name : Scorpaena porcus

 

Family : Scorpaenidae (scorpionfishes, 231 species)
Size : Up to 40 cm
Distribution : Throughout the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in the Bay of Biscay and West Africa

 

Biology : Because of its colours and protuberances, the black scorpionfish is a master of camouflage. It is worth being wary of this fish, as its dorsal fin is studded with venomous spines that can cause severe pain, hence its other name of scorpionfish. However, it only uses its venom to defend itself.

 

IUCN status : Least concern

 

Scientific name : Chelon labrosus

 

Family : Mugilidae (the mullets, 78 species)
Size : Up to 75 cm
Distribution : West Africa and the coasts of Europe as far as Norway

 

Biology : The mullet is a highly adaptable fish that tolerates pollution well and even makes excursions into freshwater.
It is a species typical of harbours and lagoons. It eats a wide variety of foods, stirring up mud to filter out micro-organisms, as well as crustaceans, insects, algae and plants.

 

IUCN status : Least concern

 

Scientific name : Maja brachydactyla

 

Family : Majidae (spider crabs, decorator crabs, 206 species)
Size : Up to 25 cm
Distribution : Limited to the Atlantic coast, from Spain to Scotland

 

Biology : Despite their name, spider crabs are simply long-legged crabs. Crabs in this family often allow algae and sponges to grow on their shells, or even implant them deliberately, in order to camouflage themselves.
It’s easy to tell the difference between males and females by looking at their bellies. Females have a broad, thick abdomen, while males have a thin, very narrow abdomen.

 

IUCN status : Not assessed

 

Scientific name : Trisopterus luscus

 

Family : Gadidae (pollack, cod and pout, 22 species)
Size : Up to 45 cm
Distribution : European coasts and Mediterranean Sea

 

Biology : The pout prefers relatively cool waters. It can be found near any type of bottom, provided it has hiding places nearby. They can be seen in fairly compact shoals. Its large dark vertical stripes make it highly recognisable.

 

IUCN status : Not assessed

 

Scientific name : Coris julis

 

Family : Labridae (wrasses, napoleons… 559 species)
Size : Up to 30 cm
Distribution : Mainly in the Mediterranean Sea and the Bay of Biscay

 

Biology : Like most labrids, the common wrasse changes sex during its life, and is said to be a successive hermaphrodite.
It starts life as a female, recognisable by its reddish stripes, then becomes a male, orange and turquoise in colour.
It eats all kinds of small prey, such as crustaceans. Young leatherbacks have been known to eat parasites from other fish.

 

IUCN status : Least concern

 

Scientific name : Homarus gammarus

 

Family : Nephropidae (lobsters and langoustines, 53 species)
Size : Up to 65 cm
Distribution : European coasts, present in the Mediterranean Sea as far as Norway and Iceland

 

Biology : Lobsters are solitary and very territorial. It does not tolerate other lobsters. It is a scavenger but also a formidable predator, feeding on any animal it can subdue.
Once little appreciated, lobster is now a luxury food, which has caused it to become increasingly rare.

 

IUCN status : Least concern