Mediterranean Sea - List of fishes

This predator lives in rocky areas, generally at depths of up to 600 meters. Endangered, this species is vulnerable to overfishing due to its slow growth and late maturation, with declining populations observed in areas such as Brazil, Bermuda, and the Azores. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect this species, particularly through fisheries regulation and the protection of essential marine habitats for their survival.

The blue shark, also known as the "blue skin shark," is a pelagic predator found in temperate and tropical marine waters, with occasional sightings near the coast. Its wide distribution, however, is threatened by overfishing. Recognizable by its blue back and white belly, this sleek-bodied shark mainly feeds on small fish, mollusks, cephalopods, and sometimes birds.

During the day, it lives in schools and often "grazes" Posidonia leaves (underwater flowering plant). It also eats small animals that live hanging on the leaves. Juveniles live in very shallow waters. It flesh, soft and bland, is not appreciated.

It is recognizable with the black spot that adorns its dorsal fin. Like many species of scorpion fish, it has venomous spines and hides easily in its environment. It can be used for the preparation of fish soup.

It swims very badly and lives on the bottom where it is camouflaged among underwater vegetation. It is hunting from a hide and, like all the scorpion fishes, it is venomous. Very sought after for its flesh, it is easily captured with a harpoon or a net.

It often lives below 30 meters depth. In the spring, it goes close to the surface to spawn in the sea grass. Its spines are venomous. The sting is very painful, but rarely fatal. It is one of the essential ingredients of bouillabaisse.

It breeds easily in captivity. During mating, which can last between 30 and 45 minutes, the male forms a loop around the body of the female. Its flesh is edible, but it liver is toxic. Its reproductive behavior has been studied at the University of Liège.

It is especially active at dusk. During the day, it stays on the bottom. It can close it eyes with a sort of eyelids. Its flesh is edible, but it liver is toxic! Its eggs can be incubated and hatched in an aquarium.

It is very aggressive towards fishes from its species, except during the breeding season: In the spring, at nightfall, a pair forms and performs a complex courtship. It is a synchronous hermaphrodite: male and female at the same time. Very curious, it often approach divers.

The Mediterranean parrotfish is a rare representative of the Scaridae in temperate zones. It is native to the warm waters of the south and east Mediterranean. It feeds mainly on algae and inhabits rocky areas up to a depth of 30 meters.

During breeding, the bream groups enter lagoons and estuaries to mate. Sought after since the Antiquity for the quality of its meat: the Romans fattened bream in tanks. Its intensive pisciculture has developed since the 80s.

Originating from the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, the yellowmouth barracuda is an agile hunter feeding on fish, cephalopods, and occasionally crustaceans. It sometimes approaches divers slowly out of curiosity.

The scalloped hammerhead shark, a semi-oceanic hammerhead, is found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide. This species is easily recognizable by its curved flat head and black tips on the pectoral fins. These sharks feed on fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans, taking advantage of their flat head to make tight turns while hunting. Although potentially dangerous and aggressive towards intruders, attacks on humans are rare. Conversely, despite its wide distribution, this species is threatened with extinction.

During the day it feeds on plankton near the surface. It descends to the bottom before dark to capture small invertebrates. The male is more colorful than the female. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite species: females become males. Its flesh is not appreciated.

The black seabream is a prized species in western fisheries. It lives alone or in large groups near seagrass beds and rocky bottoms, seeking small invertebrates such as crustaceans or mollusks.