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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.

White anglerfish
Lophius piscatorius
Πεσκανδρίτσα

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

March – June

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 commune

it

Rana pescatrice

es

Rape blanco

tr

Fener baligi

pt

Tamboril

nl

Zeeduivel

de

Anglerfisch

toxicity

This species can bioaccumulate high level of heavy metal.

iucn info

Least concern (LC)

Description

Large, rounded pectoral fins and approximately equally sized dorsal and anal fins. Broad head and wide mouth with large curved teeth in both jaws. It has a flattened body, loose skin and is scaleless with many fringed flaps mostly around the midline of the fish. Variable colour but basically brown or greenish brown with reddish or dark brown mottlings and white underside. Fleshy ‘lure’ at the end of the first dorsal spine.

It looks like Lophius budegassa (Blackbellied anglerfish), which is darker and smaller than Lophius piscatorius.

Did you know?

Female angler fish have a dorsal spine that projects in front of their mouths with bioluminescent bacteria living symbiotically in the flesh at the end of the spine, illuminating the way for prey to come directly to their mouths!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Carnivorous.
Feeds on fishes and occasionally sea birds.

habitat

Demersal.
Found on the sandy, muddy, or rocky ocean floor, typically starting at depths of 200 m.

Max size & depth range

Max length: 200 cm
Max weight: 57.7 kg
Depth range: 20-1000 m

breeding & Growth

Gonochoric (separate sexes).
Releases an egg veil, which is like a gelatinous ribbon of eggs.
Breeds from February through July.
Growth rate: Slow (k = 0.110yr⁻¹).

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 21-24 years
Max reported age: 25 years
Distribution: Mediterranean, Black Sea, Eastern Atlantic, and North Atlantic.

appearance changes

As they settle on the seafloor, the fish shifts into a strongly dorsoventrally flattened body form and develops mottled brown to green‑brown or reddish tones that blend with sandy or muddy substrates. At the same time, the first spine on its back changes into a fishing‑rod‑like lure. This lure sits near the front of the head and ends in a small, fleshy, leaf-shaped tip that the fish uses to attract prey.

Reproductive Cycle

Egg count: 54,717-104,506 eggs
Reproductive frequency: Once annually.
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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