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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.

Blackbellied angler
Lophius budegassa
Πεσκανδρίτσα μαύρη

Sustainability Status

High level of heavy metals

REPORT IT
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
Health concerns –Can accumulate dangerously high levels of toxic substances harmful to health

Legal

Minimum Size

–

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

60 cm

Avoid Consumption Period

February – May

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. Always respect minimum sustainable size limits and do not consume this species during its breeding season.

Choose sustainable seafood!

Archipelagos Tips

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

Common names

FR

Baudroie rousse

it

Rana pescatrice

es

Rape negro

tr

Fener baligi

pt

Tamboril-preto

nl

Zwarte zeeduivel

de

Schwarze Seeteufel

toxicity

This species can bioaccumulate high level of heavy metal.

iucn info

Least concern (LC)

Description

Flattened, wide head, large mouth with sharp teeth, and slender body.

It looks like Lophius piscatorius (White angler), but it has a flatter head and lighter colour than Lophius budegassa.

Did you know?

Blackbellied angler fish are one of the flatter species that live in the bottom of the eastern Atlantic, hiding in the muddy substrates and ambushing its prey!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Opportunistic carnivore.
It does not hesitate to eat any smaller prey nearby.
Feeds mainly on fishes.

habitat

Demersal.
Found from shallow, inshore waters to 650 m depth.

Max size & depth range

Max length: 100 cm
Max weight: 4 kg
Depth range: 70-1013 m

breeding & Growth

They spawn primarily during the winter and spring, though the exact months vary by region.
Growth rate: Slow (k = 0.11yr⁻¹).

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 20-21 years
Max reported age: 21 years
Distribution: British Isles to Senegal, including the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea.

appearance changes

It can subtly adjust its skin tone to match its surrounding substrate, whether it is sand, mud or seaweed.

Reproductive Cycle

Females are generally considered total spawners that reproduce once a year between 80,000 to 400,000 eggs per reproductive cycle. Though in some regions (like the Adriatic Sea), they can display a protracted cycle with up to two spawning peaks over an extended season.
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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