DONATE
Back to Fish4Life Project
Help improve Fish4Life

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.

Leerfish
Lichia amia
Λίτσα

Sustainability Status

Currently considered sustainable

REPORT IT
Help us protect our seas by reporting illegal or undersized fish that you see in markets, restaurants or fishing boats
Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Legal

Minimum Size

–

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

60 cm

Avoid Consumption Period

April – May

Advice for Consumption

Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable.

Greek legislation does not establish legal minimum size and no closed season, leaving juvenile and spawning fish completely unprotected.

Choose responsibly by respecting sustainable size limits and avoiding consumption during the breeding season.

Choose sustainable seafood!

Archipelagos Tips

Choosing larger, mature fish helps reduce fishing pressure on juvenile individuals.

Common names

FR

Liche amie

it

Leccia

es

Palometón

tr

Alafiska

pt

Palombeta

nl

Leervis

de

Gabelmakrele

toxicity

This species is safe to consume.

iucn info

Data deficient (DD)

Description

This fish has a long, slightly deep, flattened body with a fairly straight head profile and a pointed snout. It has two fins on its back.The scales are small, and on the chest they’re oval or blade-shaped and partly buried in the skin. One distinctive feature is the lateral line (the sensory line running along its side), instead of being straight, it curves noticeably, bulging outward above the pectoral fins and dipping inward just behind them.

It looks like young Seriola fish at a similar life stage.

Did you know?

Leerfish form shoals to hunt smaller fish, growing up to 1.5m long and migrate seasonally!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Carnivorous.
Feeds on fishes.
Juveniles prefer crustaceans.

habitat

Pelagic.
Found in coastal waters, occasionally lower reaches of rivers. Juveniles are often found in estuaries.

Max size & depth range

Max length: 200 cm
Max weight: 50 kg
Depth range: 0-50 m

breeding & Growth

Gonochoric (seperate sexes).
Batch spawner, spawning between September through November.
Growth rate: Slow (k = 0.20yr⁻¹).

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 10-12 years
Max reported age: 15 years
Distribution: Mediterranean, Eastern Atlantic, and Western Indian Ocean.

appearance changes

Up to about 12 cm, juveniles are brownish‑black above with clear vertical side bars. As they mature, these bars vanish and adults develop an elongated, compressed body that is dark brown or blue‑grey above and silvery‑white below, with distinctly black dorsal and anal‑fin lobes. This shift mirrors habitat use: barred juveniles hide in estuarine reeds and shadows, while adults move to open coastal waters where silver countershading offers pelagic protection.

Reproductive Cycle

Egg count: 2-12 million eggs
Reproductive frequency: Numerous times per spawning season.
Facebook Youtube Instagram

Help improve Fish4Life!

How did you find Fish4Life?
Is there anything you would improve?
Is there anything else you would like us to add?

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!

Upload a Photo
Date & Location
Where did you spot it?
Please let us know where
What is the name of the business or fishing vessel selling the seafood?
Description:
Additional information (optional)

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