Brown Meagre

The brown meagre is usually between 30–40 cm (12–16 in) in length but may grow to 60 cm (24 in). It has a flat belly and a strongly arched back, giving it an easily recognizable shape. The body is laterally compressed and the large, horizontal mouth reaches the level of the eye and contains villiform teeth. The background color of the body is grey, with flashes of gold and silver. The scales are ctenoid on the nape and the flanks while the head scales are cycloid. The anal and pelvic fins are black with the anterior margins being white. In contrast, the dorsal and the caudal fins are yellow with a black margin. The caudal fin is usually truncate.

The brown meagre is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the southern English Channel to Senegal and Cape Verde, including the Canary Islands. Records from West Africa south of Senegal are questionable. It is also found in the Mediterranean Sea (where the IUCN classifies it as Vulnerable), the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

The brown meagre is a rather nocturnal fish, but it can occasionally be found during the day among beds of seagrass and on rocky bottoms in the vicinity of caves or large crevices (where it can shelter). This species is social and lives in small groups, and it feeds off small fishes, crustaceans and algae. The spawning period is from March to August in the Mediterranean; during this time, this species forms large spawning aggregations near estauries.

Like many other species in the family Sciaenidae, the brown meagre is capable of creating sound using some of the muscles under their well-developed swim bladder. This allows individuals to communicate with each other, since this species has a very good hearing ability. The brown meagre can manage its buoyancy very well.

The brown meagre is a commercial species throughout the Mediterranean basin and is fished mainly by spear fishing, trammel nets, and gill nets. It is especially heavily fished when it forms spawning aggregations near estuaries, and overexploitation is a concern.