Fishes

Great white shark

Carcharodon carcharias

Thresher shark

Alopias vulpinus

Large shark easily recognised by its caudal fin, with a very large  upper lobe making up almost half the total length of the animal. Bluish-grey on the back and whitish underneath. Lives in surfs waters both out at sea and close to the coast.

Measures up to 4.5 meters.

Basking shark

Cethorinus maximus

Large shark, easily recognised by its long gill slits which almost meet under the belly. Long snout, especially in the younger individuals. Very small teeth and branchiospines for feeding on plankton. A pelagic fish, it is often Pound in coastal waters.

Measures up to 15 meters.

Nurse Hound

Scylliorhynus stellaris

Lesser spotted dogfish

Scylliorhynus canicula

Small, streamlined shark with a short, rounded snout. Large nostrins which in part cover the mouth. The first dorsal fin starts behind the base of the pelvis. Light brown with numerous dark blotches. Lives in coastal waters close to sand and mud or gravel bottons from 35-40 meters deep to over 150 meters.

Measures up to 80 centimeters.

Marbled electric ray

Torpedo marmorata

Ray-shaped, with a flattened body, in which the head, trunk and pectoral fins are widened to form a more or less circular dise. The front edge is truncated. There are two transparent electric organs on either ride of the head. Dark in color with lighter marbling. Lives on detrital or sandy-muddy bottoms from 20 meters to 200 meters.

Maximum size 100 centimeters.

Blue shark

Prionace glauca

Streamlined shark with dorsal slightly set back and very developed, crescent-shaped pectorals. Typical blue color on the back. Lises coastal and deep-sea waters, between the surface and a depth of 150 meters. Maximum size 3.8 meters.

Starry ray

Raja asterias

Ray with strongly depressed body, forming a disc joining the head, the trunk and the pectorals.

The tail is quite distinct from the body. The tenter of the back has a row of raised notches. Brownish with numerous dark and yellowish circular blotches. Found on mixes mud and sand and sandy bottoms from 10 meters to 300 meters.

Measures up to 80 centimeters.

Thomback ray

Raja clavata

Flattened front to back. forming a disc combining head. trunk anc pectorals. There are numerous spines on the back and a series of large notches in a row down the middle of the body. Brownish in color. with several marks on the tail. Lives on sandy-muddy and sandy bottoms, from 10 meters to 200.

Measures up to 110 centimeters.

Eagle ray

Myliobatis aquila

Large ray with rhomboid body, wider than it is long. Head is quite distinct from the central disc of the body and the tait is much longer than the body. Dark-colored back with whitish belly. Found close to sandy and mixed sand and mud beds in coastal waters, to depths of 200 meters.

Maximum length 2.6 meters.

Conger eel

Conger conger

Eel-shaped body with a subcylindrical front end. Elongated snout with a wide mouth and big lips. Well-developed pectorals. Color varies from blackish to whitish. Lives on rocky and sandy-muddy bottoms, from 3-5 meters down to 100 meters
.
Maximum length 2 meters.

Pastenage commune

Daysiatis pastinaca

Ray with a dise-shaped body, slightly wider than long. Pointed snout. No dorsal fin and the tait is 1.5 times as long as the body. Olive-colored with reddish nuances. Found on sandy-muddy and detrital bottoms, from a few meters to 200 meters.

Measures up to 2.5 meters.

Moray eel

Eel-shaped body, robust and slightly compressed at the rear end. Short head with a well developed mouth which is almost always held open. No pectoral fins. Marbled and sometimes black. Lives on rocky bottoms from a few meters to 80 meters.

Maximum length 1.3 meters.

Pilchard

Sardinia pilchardus

Oval-sectioned, tapering body. Ventral profile has a series of small, protruding, toothed scales. Greenish back, golden white sides with dark marks. A pelagic and coastal fish living in shoals, from 10-15 meters to 180 meters.

Maximum size 25 centimeters.

Anchovy

Engraulis encrasicolus

Very slim, tapered, body ending in a conical, pointed nose. Upper jaw is more develope than the lower one. Scales tend to fall when the animal is handled. Blue-green back and silvery sides. Lives in banks in pelagic and coastal waters, between the surface and 180 meters.

Maximum size 20 centimeters

Forkbeard

Phycis phycis

Tapered, deep, body, compressed back section. One barbe) on the jaw. Pelvic fins are thread-like. Dark brown or reddish brown. Found on rocky and sandy-muddy bottoms from 10-20 meters down to 650.

Maximum size 65 centimeters.

Clinq fish

Lepadogaster candollei

Small fish with a compressed front end to its body and an elongated head. The mouth is on the underside and there are two suckers between pelvic fins. Reddish or yellowish green. Lives in surface waters on algae-rich rocky bottoms and reefs.

Maximum size 7 centimeters.

Aphanie

Aphanius fasciatus

Stumpy, oval body with a short nose.Small very oblique mouth. The dorsal and anal fins are almost opposite each other. Brownish back and white belly, with in males alternate silver and dark stipes. Females are light-colored wuth vertical black stripes and white fins. Lives in brackish water.

Maximum size 6 centimeters.

Gar-fish

Belone belone

Elongated, subcylindrical body with a pointed nose and jaws which are elongated into a kind of beak. Bluish back and silvery white sides and belly. Lives in coastal waters, from the surface to 20-30 4 meters.

Maximum size 90 centimeters.

Big scale land smelt

Atherina boyeri

Elongated fish with subcylindrical, compressed body. Big eyes. Small, terminal mouth. Back is blue-green flecked with black; the side are whitish with a silver longitudinal fines. Lives in shoals in coastal waters and lagoons.

Maximum size 13 centimeters.

Drumfish

Capros aper

Deep, compressed body. Convex area over the eyes. Small, very protractile mouth, which is converted into a tube when capturing prey. Red with yellow transverse bands. Found close to muddy bottoms, from 25 meters to 600.

Maximum size 16 centimeters

John Dory

Zeus faber

Oval shaped, deep, compressed body. Has characteristic long rays on the dorsal fin and the ocellar marking on the sides, which make it easy to pick out. Golden-grey with dark shading. Lives close to sandy or muddy bottoms, from 20-30 meters deep to 400 meters.

Maximum size 60 centimeters.

Longspine snipefish

Macroramphosus scolopax

Deep, compressed body terminating in an elongated head. Long, tube-shaped snout with a small terminal mouth. Body is rough to the touch. Pinkish red. Lives in bottom waters, from 40-50 meters to over 200 meters.

Maximum size 20 centimeters.

Horse pipe-fish

Syngnathus typhle

with thin, elongated, body. Has a distinctive high, compressed, nose with a straight profile, with an almost vertically cut-mouth at the extremity. Color varies from brown to greenish-brown. Found close to Neptune grass and zosters from 1-2 meters to 20-30.

Maximum size 3 meters.

Common sea-horse

Hippocampus hippocampus

Unmistakable fish. Distinctive head position, which is set at an angle to the body and the prehensile tail. Brownish or greenish-black. Found close to Neptune grass from 2-4 meters down to 20-30.

Maximum size 15 centimeters.

Flying gurnard

Dactylopterus volitans

Elongated body, very square at the front. Head covered with strong bones. Distinctive pectoral fins in two parts, the second one being very wide and brightly colored in blue with white blotches. Lives on sandy and muddy bottoms and close to Neptune grass.

from 8-10 meters to 80 meters.

Streaked gurnard

Trygloporus lastouiza

Fish with a streamlined body hich tapers towards the tail. Large head colored with bony plates. Has characteristic wide pectoral fins with blue merks, the first three rays of which are separate and mobile.Reddish-colored. Lives on detrital and sandy-muddy bottoms, from 20 meters to over 200meters.

Measures up to 40 centimeters.

Red scorpionfish

Scorpaena scrofa

The largest of the Mediterranean scorpionfish, easily recognised by the large number of fringed appendices around the head, the mouth and the sides. Reddish with brownish and black marks. Found on rocky and detrital bottoms and amongst Neptune grass from 3-4 meters to over 300 meters.

 Measures up to 50 centimeters

Small Red scorpionfish

Scorpaena notata

The head of this scorpionfish is virtually free of all cutaneous 41 appendices. Recognise by its brighter red coloring and e black mark in the middle of the dorsal fin. Lives on poorly-illuminated, rocky bottoms, from 5 to 700 meters deep.

Maximum size 18 centimeters.

Gurnard

Trigla lyra

Elongated body with subquadrangular profile. Large head covered in strong bony plates which are ridged and spiny. The first three rays of the pectorals are free. Reddish with bluish blotches on the fins. Lives on muddy or detrital bottoms, from 40-50 meters to over 400 meters.

Maximum size 60 centimeters

Swallow tail seaperch

Anthias Anthias

Oval-bodied fish with short nose and pronounced sickle-shaped 4 tail, with elongated lobes. Very developed pelvic fins. Red or brigh: pink with golden stripes on the head and sides. Lives close to rock. bottoms with plenty of crevices. From 15-20 meters down to 200 meters.

Maximum size 25 centimeters.

Grouper

Epinephelus guaza

Large, oval body with a well-developed head and large mouth. Wide, rounded caudal fin. Brownish with blotches of varying degrees of darkness. Lives on rocky bottoms with plenty of crevices, from 3-5 meters to 100.

Measures up to 1 meter.

Painted comber

Serranus scriba

Tapered body, slightly compressed, with a pointed head. Reddishgrey with dark vertical bands and a characteristic bluish mark on the sides and variegated patterns on the nose and the opercula. Lives on rocky bottoms and close to posidonia, from 4-5 meters to 100 meters deep.

Measures up to 35 centimeters.

Wrck fish

Polyprion americanus

Deep, powerful body with a large head and slight concavity on the back of the neck. Transverse bony crest on the operculum. Rough scales on the body. Brownish-grey. Lives on rocky and mixed sang and mud bottoms, from 30-40 meters down to 400. Young individuals tend to stay close to the surface.

Maximum size 2 meters.

Cardinal fish

Apogon imberbis

Oval-bodied fish with short head and big eye. Promirent jaw. First 4 dorsal fin is less developed than the second one. Red or pinky body, with white stripes crossing the eyes. Male fish incubates the eggs in its mouth. Found on rocky bottoms with plenty of crevices. from 2-3 meters down to 200.

 
Maximum size 15 centimeters.

Shark-sucker

Echeneis naucrates

Elongated, tapering fish. Recognised by its modified forward dorsal fin which has evolved into a sucker (ventose) with transverse lamellae. Whitish with a wide dark longitudinal band from the nose to the tait. Found in coastal waters, where it swims alone or attached to e large fish.

Maximum size 1 meter.

Leer fish

Lichia amia

Long, moderately deep body, ending in a pointed nose. Weildeveloped mouth, opening extending past the eye. Very irregular lateral line. Dark coloring on the back and slvery-white sides and belly. Lives in coastal waters from the surface to 50 meters.

 Maximum size 2 meters.

Sea bass

Dicentrarchus labrax

Streamlined, tapering body, with powerful head and well-developed mouth. Robust, forward-facing spines on the preoperculum. Double dorsal fin. Silvery-grey. Found close to sandy and rocky bottoms, from 3-5 meters down to 100 meters.

Maximum size 1 meter.

Amberjack

Seriola dumerili

Robust, tapering body, compressed laterally. Well-developed head. Twin-lobed, well-defined, caudal fin is attached by a slim peduncle. Silvery-grey, with a dark fine from the eyes along the body. Lives in deep-sea waters but cornes close into the coast, from 10-15 meters to 70 meters.

Maximum size 2 meters

Crevalle jack

Caranx hippos

Elongated body, oval and moderately compressed. Convex front profile and short nose. Eyes have adipose eyelids. Caudal peduncle is covered with faired bony plates. Bluish green back with silvery sides. Found in pelagic or coastal waters to depths of 350 meters.

Maximum size 100 centimeters. 

Dentex

Dentex dentex

Robust, deep, compressed body. Large head and wide mouth which has large, canine teeth. Blue-grey with dark marks on the sides. Fins are shaded with pink. Lives close to rocky or sandy bottoms or posidonia meadows, from 15 to 150 meters.

Measures up to 100 centimeters.

Pilot fish

Naucrates ductor

Elongated body ending suddenly in a blunt nose. Forward dorsal fin consists of a few separate rays. Caudal peduncle has fleshy keel on either side. Silvery with wide dark transverse bands. A pelagic fish, living with sharks and other large fish.

Measures up to 70 centimeter

Dolphin dish

Coryphaena hippurus

Robust, elongated, compressed body. Head of the adult fish has a convex profile. The dorsal fin begins immediately behind the head.Metallic greenish-blue with gold and silver reflections and small dark marks on the sides. Lives in pelagic waters, from the surface to 30-50 meters.

 Maximum size 2 meters

Two-banded seabream

Diplodus vulgaris

Oval, deep. compressed body. Slightly protractile mouth. Brownishor greenish-grey. Characteristic dark band along the neck. Tail peduncle has a dark mark extending along the rays of the dorsal and anal fins. Found on rocky and sandy bottoms and amongst Neptune grass, from 2-3 meters to 130 meters.

Maximum size 45 centimeters..

Saddled seadream

Oblada melanura

Elongated body, slightly compressed. Short nose and big eye. Silvery grey with bluish reflections on the back. Characteristic big, white-edged, black, saddle-shaped mark on the caudal peduncle. Lives on rocky bottoms and close to Neptune grass, from 3-5 meters to 40 meters.

Maximum size 30 centimeters

Common seabream

Pagrus pagrus

Oval, deep, compressed body. Very convex head profile. Large, canine teeth sometimes revealed. Silvery with pinkish nuances. Reddish eyes. Lives on rocky and sandy bottoms, from 10-15 meters to 200 meters.

Maximum size 80 centimeters.

Sharpsnout seabream

Diplodus puntazzo

Striped seabream

Lithognathus mormyrus

Pandora

Pagellus erythrinus

Salema

Sarpa salpa

Black seabream

Spondyliosoma cantharus

Gilt-head bream

Sparus auratus

Blotched picarel

Spicara maenal

Elongated, slightly compressed body. Slightly convex on the back of the head. Very protractile upper jaw. ack is blue or greenishgrey; silver sides with a distinctive rectangular black mark. Lives on rocky bottoms or amongst Neptune grass, from 5-7 meters to 170.

Maximum size 25 centimeters.

Picarel

Spicara flexuosa

Elongated, slightly compressed body. Very protractile upper jaw. Yellowish, blue-grey or green-grey back; dorsal fin has dark margins. Black rectangular mark on the sides. Lives on sandy and muddy bottoms, from 5-7 meters to 130. Maximum size 20 centimeters.ital bottoms, from 10-15 meters down to 100.

Maximum size 100 centimeters.

Brown meagre

Sciaena umbra

Striped red mullet

Mullus barbatus

Shy drum

Umbrina cirrosa

Long, compressed body, with a straight ventral profile. Small, ventral mouth with a short barbe) below the bottom jaw. Silvery-grey with dark, slanting stripes on the sides and back. Lives on rocky, sandy.

Striped red mulet

Mullus surmuletus

Barracuda

Sphyraena sphyraena

Raimbow wrasse

Coris julis (male and female)

Cuckoo wrasse

Labrus bimaculatus

Labre vert ou lasagne

Labrus viridis

Elongated body with long, pointed nose. Generally greenish, lighter on the belly. Often has a white stripe running down The sides from nose to tail. Lives on rocky bottoms, close to Neptune grass, from 4-5 meters to 50 meters.

 
Maximum size 45 centimeters.

Maximum size 20 centimeters.

Peacock wrasse

Symphodus tinca

Maximum size 15 centimeters.

Ornate wrasse

Thalassoma pavo

Pearly razor fish

Xyrichthys novacula

Parrotfish

Sparisoma cretense

Bucchichi's goby

Gobius bucchichii

Dragonet

Callionymus lyra

Slender  goby

Gobius geniporus

Little tunny

Euthynnus alletteratus

Robust, spindle-shaped body, without scales except for the front of the body and the lateral fine. Bluish back, with an irregular pattern of stripes of blotches, and silvery-grey sides and belly.  Lives in coastal waters from the surface down to 50 meters.

Maximum size 1 meter.

Tompot blenny

Parablennius gattorugine

Wide-eyed flounder

Bothus podas

Blue fin tuna

Thunnus thynnus

Sole

Solea sp.

Triggerfish

Balistes carolinensis

Wide, oval body, highly compressed and covered in thick, rough, scales. Pointed nose and strong incisors. Forward dorsal fin has large spiny rays which can be blocked in the erect position. Blue-grey and marbled, with blotches on the fins. Found close to rocky bottoms, from 4-5 meters to 100.

Maximum size 45 centimeters.

Black scorpionfish

Scorpaena porcus

Stout-shaped body, typical of the scorpionfish. Distinctive large fleshy excrescences above the eyes and a marked socket around them.Blackish-brown with darker blotches. Found on rocky and detrital bottoms and amongst Neptune grass, from 3-4 meters to over 100.

Maximum size 30 centimeters.

•  

  • Algaes

  • Porifera

  • Crusteceans

  • Gorgonians

  • Molluscs

  • Jellyfishs

  • Urchins

  • Stars Sea

  • Worms

  • Fishs