Sarpa Salpa
– Salema Porgy –
| Conservation status |
|---|
 Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] |
| Scientific classification |
Sarpa salpa
(Linnaeus, 1758)
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Sparidae |
| Genus: | Sarpa |
| Species: | S. salpa |
Sarpa salpa, known commonly as the dreamfish, salema, salema porgy, cow bream or goldline, is a species of sea bream, recognisable by the golden stripes that run down the length of its body, and which can cause Ichthyoallyeinotoxism when eaten.[2]
Description
The body is elongated , of medium height and laterally compressed . The mouth is small and contains very prominent teeth. The eye is quite large and close to the mouth; the whole forms a relatively short head. The back is yellowish gray to greenish with gold reflections . The body is crossed by 10 to 12 bright yellow longitudinal lines which encroach on the head and reach the caudal. There is a small black spot at the base of the pecs. The fins are greyish, the eye is golden . This fish measures on average 30 cm but can reach up to 50 cm in length. The caudal fin is indented.
Biotope
Sarpa salpa is found from the surface to a depth of 20 m. This species lives in shoals and evolves above rocky or sandy bottoms covered with algae or Posidonia , often on the beach, near the riprap that protects the jetties. The schools are composed of individuals of very different sizes, small males and large females, and sometimes accompanied by a few sars and or a few small mullet.
It is found in the East Atlantic, where it ranges from the Bay of Biscay to South Africa, as well as in the Mediterranean.[3] It has occasionally been found as far north as Great Britain.[2] It is generally common and found from near the surface to a depth of 70 m (230 ft).[1] Males are typically 15 to 30 cm (6–12 in) in length, while females are usually 31 to 45 cm (12–18 in).[4] The maximum size is 51 cm (20 in).[3]
Alimentation
This species feeds on plants in adulthood. It is the main herbivorous fish of the Mediterranean. Vegetarian, it feeds mainly on green algae, such as sea lettuce Ulva , Caulerpa , or red algae Laurencia . These fish also consume leaves of Posidonia oceanica . Juveniles eat small crustaceans. The saupe uses its incisors, the upper ones of which have a notched edge while the lower ones are pointed and triangular.
Reproduction
Saupes are hermaphrodites *. They change sex. The young are first male and reach their first sexual maturity during their third year at around 21 cm, then they become female during their fourth year between 26 and 28 cm. Reproduction is sexual, it takes place in spring and autumn.
Associated Life
The saupe evolves in schools in which we can find red mullet and sars.
Further Information
Saupe can be the cause of food poisoning with hallucinatory syndromes.
Whatever the region, the responsible fish are not toxic all year round, but only for a few months or weeks. This last notion makes suspect the role of toxins of algae ingested by fish, and swarming at certain periods. In the case of saupe, poisoning occurs when the caught fish is not immediately emptied of its viscera containing large amounts of algae.
Sarpa salpa became widely known for its ichthyoallyeinotoxic effects following widely publicized articles in 2006, when two men ingested it at a Mediterranean restaurant and began to experience many auditory and visual hallucinogenic effects.[5] These hallucinations, described as frightening, were reported to have occurred two hours after the fish was ingested and had a total duration of 36 hours.[6][better source needed] The fish, and especially its viscera, have been assessed as potentially unsafe by a study conducted on Mediterranean specimens.[7] It is believed that the fish ingests a particular algae or phytoplankton which renders it Ichthyoallyeinotoxic. The effects described are similar to those of indole tryptamine psychedelics.[5]
