Fish4Life provides everything you need to enjoy seafood responsibly. Explore information and practical tips for safe and sustainable seafood consumption, and help protect marine life by reporting undersized or illegally traded seafood.
Help us protect our seas by reporting illegal or undersized fish that you see in markets, restaurants or fishing boats
Fishstocks – Declining due to overexploitation
Think before you eat – This species faces increasing pressures and should only be consumed responsibly
Legal
Minimum Size
–
Prohibited Consumption Period
–
Sustainable
Minimum Size
35 cm
Avoid Consumption Period
July – August
Advice for Consumption
Think before consuming this species.
Greek legislation does not establish legal minimum size and no closed season, leaving juvenile and spawning fish completely unprotected. Respect minimum sustainable size limits and do not consume during its breeding season.
Choose sustainable seafood!
Archipelagos Tips
Choosing larger, mature fish helps reduce fishing pressure on juvenile individuals.
It has 11 to 12 dorsal spines and 10 – 11 soft dorsal rays. It has 3 anal spines and 8 soft anal rays. The body and fins are reddish except for the anal fin and the lower part of caudal fin which are edged with white.
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
It looks like Pagrus pagrus (Red porgy).
Did you know?
As the large-eye dentex grows older and larger, it continuously lives at greater and deeper depths!
Ecological Aspects
Diet
Carnivorous. Feeds on fish and crustaceans. Young feeds on plankton.
habitat
Benthopelagic. Found over rocky and sandy bottoms. Migrates from coast to deeper waters seasonally.
Max size & depth range
Max length: 65 cm
Max weight: 1.3 kg
Depth range: 30-500 m
breeding & Growth
Gonochoric (seperate sexes). Batch spawner that spawns in the spring, peaking from March through May. Growth rate: Slow-moderate (k = 0.250 yr⁻¹).
Longevity & presence
Lifespan: 36-38 years
Max reported age: 38 years
Distribution: Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic
appearance changes
Juveniles typically display a silvery-pink body. As they mature into adults, their coloration shifts to a vibrant overall reddish hue, with the lower edges of the anal and caudal fins distinctly outlined in white.
Reproductive Cycle
Egg Count: 59,000-316,000 eggs
Reproductive frequency: Numerous times throughout spawning season.
Thank you for your contribution. This project is built for the public and should be shaped by its community. We welcome your comments and any information you feel is important to include.
Spotted illegal or undersized seafood? Report it!
Your contribution helps us document illegal and unsustainable fishing practices and protect our seas.
If you’d like to learn more about the work of the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, please visit our website: https://archipelago.gr/
Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable
Illegal species – Fishing, selling and consumption of this species is illegal
Fishstocks – Declining due to overexploitation
Think before you eat – This species faces increasing pressures and should only be consumed responsibly
Bad choice – Consumption of this species is unsustainable
Health concerns – Can accumulate dangerously high levels of toxic substances harmful to health
Alien / Invasive – This species is not from this region and can have a negative impact on the ecosystem and threaten local biodiversity, so it is sustainable to eat
Aquafarms – You will commonly find this species coming from aquafarms