| European seabass | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Moronidae |
| Genus: | Dicentrarchus |
| Species: | D. labrax |
| Binomial name | |
| Dicentrarchus labrax Linnaeus, 1758 |
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- For other fish called "seabass", see Sea bass.
The European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax, also known as Morone labrax, is a primarily ocean-going fish that sometimes enters brackish and fresh water. It is also known as the sea dace. Highly regarded as a food fish, it is often marketed as mediterranean seabass, bronzini or branzini ("branzino" is the name of the fish in Northern Italy; in other parts of the country it is called "spigola" or "ragno"). In Spain, where, due to its popularity, it is farmed, it is called "lubina" or "róbalo".
The European seabass is a member of the Moronidae family. The name Dicentrarchus derives from the presence of two dorsal fins. It has silver sides and a white belly. Juvenile fish maintain black spots on the back and sides, a feature that can create confusion with Dicentrarchus punctatus. This fish's operculum is serrated and spined. It can grow to a total length of over 1 m (3.3 ft) and 15 kg of weight.[1]
Its habitats include estuaries, lagoons, coastal waters and rivers. It is found in the waters in and around Europe, including the eastern Atlantic Ocean (from Norway to Senegal), the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
It is mostly a night hunter, feeding on small fish, polychaetes, cephalopods and crustaceans.
The fish has come under increasing pressure from commercial fishing and has recently become the focus in the United Kingdom of a conservation effort by recreational anglers.[2]. In Italy the seabass is the subject of intensive breeding in salt waters.
In the Republic of Ireland, there are strict laws regarding bass, all commercial fishing for the species is banned and there are several restrictions in place for anglers i.e. a closed season May 15- June 15 inclusive every year, minimum sizes of 400mm and a bag limit of 2 fish per angler in a 24 hour period.
Debate has been ferocious in Britain in recent years as to the origin of the word "seabass". The traditional word was "bass" but that has changed with the recent popularity of cooking programmes and the expansion of restaurant marketing, both of which have adopted the phrase "seabass". There is, in Britain and the whole of Europe, only one type of bass and thus the expression "seabass" is unnecessary - there being no river-bass or striped bass or any other type of bass.
In Greek, the vernacular name of this fish, as well as that of the related Dicentrarchus punctatus, is lavraki (λαβράκι)[3][4]. In Greek cuisine, the fish can be prepared in a variety of ways (e.g. grilled, steamed in parchment) and is often considered a delicacy. Greek journalists use the same word (lavraki) to refer to high-value exclusive news stories, a cultural reference to the perceived luck of an angler when catching this fish.
Notes
References
- Clover, Charles (2004). The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat. London: Ebury Press. ISBN 0-09-189780-7.
- "Dicentrarchus labrax". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 2 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Dicentrarchus labrax (TSN 170317). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 6 June 2006.
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