Description
A fusiform silvery shape with a black spot near its tail is the characteristics of the Saddles Sea Bream! The maximum recorded length of this fish is 35 cm. This fish is an important world food resource and is fished throughout its reported habitat. These are very common fish around Cyprus. We encounter them almost everywhere we dive. Don’t worry you are bound to meet a Saddled Sea Bream in your scuba diving around Cyprus and the Mediterranean Sea!
Habitat
Saddled Sea Bream is an inshore, gregarious, schooling species.It is often found frequenting the surf zone, primarily at dawn. Common throughout the Mediterranean Sea and Eastern Atlantic Ocean inhabiting coastal waters with rocky bottoms with Posidonia beds to a depth of 30m. Quite common in the Adriatic Sea also!
Feeding
An in depth study of the feeding habits of Saddled Sea Bream has shown that it is omnivorous and feeding on 40 different species of prey belonging to nine major groups, preferring small invertebrates. Copepods, Mysidacea, Decapoda, Amphipoda, Polychaeta, Tunicata, fish eggs, Teleostei and Mollusk larvae! Copepods comprise the most important prey item for these fish regardless of fish size! Read the in depth study on the feeding habits of Saddled Sea Bream here.
Life History
Saddled Sea Bream reproduce between April and June in the Mediterranean Sea. Usually male or female but with some fish are hermaphroditic protogynous. They begin life as females to become males later when they mature. Growing up they pass through egg, larval and Young Stages!
Dive Site Encounters
Saddled Sea Bream Distribution Map
(Chance of encounter Red > 0.8 Yellow > 0.2)
