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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.

European seabass
Dicentrarchus labrax
Λαβράκι

Sustainability Status

Natural stocks are decreasing

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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
Aquafarms – You will commonly find this species coming from aquafarms

Legal

Minimum Size

25 cm

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

36 cm

Avoid Consumption Period

December – March

Advice for Consumption

Think before consuming this species.

This species is most commonly available on the market from aquaculture production. If purchasing wild-caught fish, be aware that current legislation fails to take the biology of this species into account, setting a legal minimum size that is considerably smaller than the scientifically recommended sustainable size and failing to establish a closed season, leaving both juvenile and spawning fish completely unprotected. Always respect sustainable size limits and avoid consuming this species during its breeding season.

Consume responsibly!

Archipelagos Tips

If you choose wild-caught fish, select larger, mature individuals whenever possible to help protect juvenile fish and support sustainable fisheries.

If you choose farmed fish, prefer products from small- or medium-scale aquaculture farms, which generally have a lower environmental footprint.

Common names

FR

Bar

it

Branzino

es

Robalo

tr

Levrek

pt

Robalo

nl

Zeebaars

de

Europäischer Wolfsbarsch

toxicity

This species is safe to consume.

iucn info

Near threatened (NT)

Description

The fish has smooth, rounded scales on the top of its head and between its eyes. Its mouth can extend forward to some extent. The teeth on the roof of the mouth are found only at the front and form a crescent shape. The back edge of the gill cover has small saw-like teeth, while the lower edge has larger tooth-like projections that point forward. There are also two flat spines on the gill cover. Young fish have several dark spots on the upper part of their bodies.

It looks like Dicentrarchus punctatus (Spotted Seabass) appearance is similar to European seabass, but with distinct dark spots on the body.

Did you know?

The european seabass was one of the first fish to be commercially farmed!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Carnivorous.
Feeds on shrimps, mollusks, and fishes. Juveniles feed on invertebrates.

habitat

Demersal.
Found in coastal waters, bottoms of estuaries, lagoons and occasionally rivers.

Max size & depth range

Max length: 103 cm
Max weight: 12 kg
Depth range: 10-100 m

breeding & Growth

Spawns in groups, eggs float. Spawning occurs January through March.
Growth rate: Slow (k = 0.140 yr⁻¹).

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 20-25 years
Max reported age: 30 years
Distribution: Mediterranean, Southern Black Sea and North-east Atlanic Ocean.

appearance changes

Juveniles have prominent, distinct black spots run along the upper half of their bodies. When they mature the dark spots fade and become absent.

Reproductive Cycle

Egg count: 200,000-2 million eggs
Reproductive frequency: Numerous times per spawning season.
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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