Pagellus


Pagellus is a genus of marine ray-finned fish belonging the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. These fishes are found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the western Indian Ocean.

Taxonomy

Pagellus was first proposed as a genus in 1830 by the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes. The type species was subsequently designated as Sparus erythrinus by Eugène Anselme Sébastien Léon Desmarest in 1856. Linnaeus described S. erythrinus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae with its type locality given as the Mediterranean and America. This genus is placed in the family Sparidae within the order Spariformes by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World. Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Pagellinae, but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sparidae.

Etymology

Pagellus is derived from pagel, one of the common names of the common pandora among sailors in Mediterranean coasts of the Provence and Languedoc regions of France.

Species

Pagellus contains the following species:
  • Pagellus acarne
  • Pagellus affinis Boulenger, 1888
  • Pagellus bellottii Steindachner, 1882
  • Pagellus bogaraveo
  • Pagellus erythrinus
  • Pagellus natalensis Steindachner, 1903

    Characteristics

Pageluus seabreams are characterised by having an oblong-shaped body that is normally silvery pink in colour. The scales on the head extend to beyond the front of the eyes. The bases of the dorsal and anal fins are covered with a low sheath covered in scales. The largest of the six species in Pagellus is the blackspot seabream with a maximum published standard length of while the smallest is the Natal pandora with a maximum published total length of.

Distribution and habitat

Pagellus seabreams are found in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea between the North Sea and Angola. with 2 species in the western Indian Ocean. These seabreams are demersal fish found over various substrates at depths from the shallows down to.

Fisheries

Pagellus seabreams are components of fisheries wherever they occur, although P. natalensis is too small to be targeted. However, the four eastern Atlantic species and P.affinis are targeted by commercial fisheries and are important food fish.