Scientific name : Umbrina cirrosa

 

Family : Sciaenidae (umbrina, corb, drum, 293 species)
Size : Up to 1 meter
Distribution : This species occurs in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea, but it is rarely found in the Atlantic Ocean

 

Biology : It feeds on diverse invertebrates that it unearths from the sand, mostly crustaceans, and mollusks. Young fish inhabit estuaries, while adults live on sandy seabed.

 

IUCN status : Vulnerable

 

Scientific name : Pagrus auriga

 

Family : Sparidae
Size : Up to 80 cm
Distribution : Eastern Atlantic Ocean, from Angola to the Bay of Biscay, including the Mediterranean Sea. It mostly prefers warm waters.

 

Biology : The redbanded seabream is a carnivorous species.
It has powerful jaws that allow it to feed on crustaceans, bivalves, and cephalopods. They have large, conical teeth in the front of the jaw to grasp its prey, whereas back teeth are rather round to be able to crush shells. Climate change will likely cause this species to migrate northward as it is a relatively tropical fish.

 

IUCN status : Least concern

 

Scientific name : Trachinotus ovatus

 

Order : Carangiformes (jacks, morays, dolphins…)
Size : Up to 70 cm
Distribution : Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic, from Norway to Angola

 

Biology : The pompano is rather small for a trevally. To defend itself, it travels in rather loose schools and uses its reflective scales to blur the vision of its predators.
It is a fairly opportunistic fish, feeding on a variety of small animals that it captures in the water column.

 

IUCN status : Least concern

 

Scientific name : Caretta caretta

 

Family : Cheloniidae (hawksbill turtles, 6 species)
Size : Up to 2 m and weighs up to 500 kg
Distribution : Tropical and temperate seas worldwide, occasionally recorded in Scotland

 

Biology : The loggerhead turtle can be recognised by its stocky stature and red colouring.
It is mainly carnivorous, feeding on all the animals it can find : jellyfish, squid, crabs, sea urchins… and sometimes fish when it manages to catch them.
It is the most common species of turtle on the French coast, even laying eggs on Mediterranean beaches.

 

IUCN status : Vulnerable

 

Scientific name : Sparus aurata

 

Family : Sparidae
Size : Up to 70 cm
Distribution : From Morocco to the British Isles, via the Mediterranean

 

Biology : The name sea bream comes from their golden colour, particularly visible in their eyebrows. Sea bream are carnivores, specialising in hard-shelled animals such as crabs, mussels, snails, etc. They are said to be malacophagous.
Sea bream change sex during their lives, being born male and becoming female around the age of 3.

 

IUCN status : Least concern