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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.

Common pandora
Pagellus erythrinus
Λυθρίνι

Sustainability Status

Currently considered sustainable

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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

15 cm

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

15 cm

Avoid Consumption Period

April – September

Advice for Consumption

Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable.

Greek legislation does not establish a closed season for this species, leaving both juvenile and spawning fish completely unprotected.

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

Archipelagos Tips

If you choose to consume this species, select larger-sized fish. This species is caught by both industrial trawl fisheries and small-scale fishers.

Avoid fish caught by trawlers and prefer fish from small-scale fisheries, which are generally more selective and more likely to catch larger, mature individuals. In Greece, trawling is prohibited from June to September.

During this period, this species available on the market is caught exclusively by small-scale (artisanal).

Common names

FR

Pageot

it

Pagello fragolino

es

Breca

tr

Mercan

pt

Bica

nl

Gewone zeebrasem

de

Rotbrasse

toxicity

This species is safe to consume.

iucn info

Least concern (LC)

Description

Oblong, compressed body, large head with a convex upper profile, and a reddish coloration without stripes or bars. Snout at least twice as long as the eye diameter.

It looks like Pagrus pagrus (Common seabream), it is often considered similar in appearance to Pagellus erythrinus, although it generally grows larger.

Did you know?

The common pandora is also known as the king of the breams!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Omnivorous.
Feeds on invertebrates and small fishes.

habitat

Benthopelagic.
Found on inshore waters on various bottoms (rocks, gravel, sand, and mud).

Max size & depth range

Max length: 60 cm
Max weight: 3.2 kg
Depth range: 0-300 m

breeding & Growth

Hermaphrodites (females become males in their 3rd year). Batch spawners, spawning between April through August.
Growth rate: Slow (k = 0.180yr⁻¹).

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 1-9 years
Max reported age: 14 years
Distribution: Mediterranean, Norway and Canary Islands.

appearance changes

Juveniles and females are bright pink overall with scattered small, distinct blue spots on their upper flanks. Older and larger males often take on a more intense red color, and their upper profile becomes more convex or rounded.

Reproductive Cycle

Egg count: 15,000 to 245,000 eggs
Reproductive frequency: Two main batches per spawning 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