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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.

Blotched picarel
Spicara maena
Μένουλα

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

–

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

10 cm

Avoid Consumption Period

March – June

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.

Archipelagos Tips

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

Common names

FR

Mendole

it

Menola

es

Chucla

tr

Melina

pt

Trombeiro

nl

Gevlekte pikarel

de

Laxierfisch

toxicity

This species is safe to consume.

iucn info

Least concern (LC)

Description

The color is usually blue with a black rectangular spot on the centre of the flanks, below the lateral line. The color can vary depending on the season. During the breeding season, the flanks are silvery green, with scattered electric blue spots. The fins are slightly transparent, the color of the body with blue edges. The caudal fin is forked and dotted with blue.

It looks like Spicara smaris (Picarel), whose head length is usually equal to or longer than the body depth, while in Spicara maena, the head length is shorter than the body depth.

Did you know?

During the night all its markings turn, from marbled, to the greenish grey for camouflaging with the seabed!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Omnivorous.
Feeds on zooplankton.

habitat

Pelagic.
Found over seagrass beds, sand, mud, and rocky bottoms.

Max size & depth range

Max length: 25 cm
Max weight: 160 g
Depth range: 30-130 m

breeding & Growth

Protogynous hermaphrodites (sex change occurs at lengths over 10cm). Eggs are laid in a nest that males guard. Spawning occurs from August to October.
Growth rate: Slow-moderate (k = 0.255yr⁻¹).

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 3-5 years
Max reported age: 8 years
Distribution: Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Eastern Atlantic.

appearance changes

Its coloration varies significantly with age, sex, and season. During the spawning season, mature males develop distinctly more vibrant hues and distinct dark, bluish-grey patterns compared to females and non-breeding individuals.

Reproductive Cycle

Egg count: 19,875-49,125 eggs
Reproductive frequency: Once annually.
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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