blotched picarel

Scientific name Spicara maena
Descriptor Linnaeus
Year of description 1758
IUCN category (World) LC
Family Sparidae
Genus Spicara
Spicara maena Spicara maena

Introduction

The blotched picarel, sometimes also called mandoule, is a common marine fish in the Mediterranean. It is also found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from the Breton coasts to the Canary Islands.

Who is it?

Morphology

  • Average size
    20 cm
  • Maximum size
    25 cm
  • Longevity
    8 year
  • Average size
    20 cm
  • Maximum size
    25 cm
  • Longevity
    8 year

How to recognize This fish ?

The blotched picarel has a laterally compressed oval-shaped body with a hump behind the head in older individuals.

The color is usually blue with a characteristic black rectangular spot on the center of the flanks. The color can vary depending on the season. During the breeding season, the flanks are silvery green, with scattered electric blue spots. The mouth is protractile and the opercula are marked with three oblique blue to golden lines.

The fins are slightly transparent, the color of the body with blue edges. The caudal fin is forked and dotted with blue.

Sexual dimorphism

The species is a protogynous hermaphrodite, with the male adult being larger than the female.

Behaviour & Life cycle

  • diet
    omnivorous with carnivorous tendency
  • Sociability
    living in shoals
  • territorial
    No
  • Way of living
    diurnal

The blotched picarel is a schooling fish, often found in groups of individuals of the same size, sometimes mixed with other species. They swim in open water near the coasts and feed mainly on small benthic organisms (mollusks, crustaceans, worms...).

Reproduction

  • Reproduction
    ovipare qui pond en eau libre
  • Hermaphrodite
    protogynous

The blotched picarel is an oviparous protogynous hermaphrodite.

Sexual maturity is reached at around 9 centimeters. The breeding period extends from spring to autumn depending on the region. In the Gulf of Lion, breeding is observed from August to October. The fish display very pronounced colors during this period.

The male builds a round nest in seagrass beds or in the sand at a depth of 10 to 20 meters. The female lays adhesive eggs in the nest, immediately fertilized by the male. The male then guards and fans the eggs until the larvae hatch. The larvae are planktonic.

Harmless species

This species poses no particular danger to humans if encountered in its natural habitat.

Origin and distribution

Geographic distribution & Conservation

Although the species is not valued for consumption, it is often caught in fishing nets, including by bottom trawling. This lack of commercial importance makes population studies rare, and the species has likely become scarce in several regions, especially in the Mediterranean Sea.

Conservation status of populations (IUCN)

World : LC

Where to see this species?

What is its habitat?

Natural environment characteristics

  • Depth
    10 - 200 m
  • Environment
    Active pelagic

Biotope presentation

Blotched picarel are usually found at depths of less than 30 meters. However, it is not uncommon to find this fish up to 200 meters deep. The species lives in shallow coastal areas above seagrass beds, sandy, or muddy areas.

 

Species of the same biotope

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Sources & Contributions

Participation & Validation

The Fishipedia team and specialist contributors are committed to providing high-quality content. However, although the information comes from scientific sources or testimonials from specialists, the cards may contain inaccuracies.

Benoit Chartrer

Benoit Chartrer

Adrien Falzon

Adrien Falzon

Translation

Translation done with the valuable contribution of our translators, who make this information available to a wider audience. We sincerely thank them for their commitment.

Bibliographic references

Age and growth of blotched picarel (Spicara maena Linnaeus, 1758) in the Sea of Marmara and Northern Aegean Sea - Burak Saygılı - Ali İşmen - Mukadder Arslan İhsanoğlu - Ege Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences - 2016.

Growth and reproduction of blotched picarel (Spicara maena Linnaeus, 1758) in the central Aegean Sea, Turkey - Hasan Tuncay KINACIGİL - TÜBİTAK - 2009.

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Template and content © Fishipedia - Unauthorized reproduction without prior request - ISSN 2270-7247 - Last modification 13/11/2023

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