Diplodus Sargus
– Sargo –
| Scientific classification |
|---|
Diplodus sargus Linnaeus, 1758
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Sparidae |
| Genus: | Diplodus |
| Species: | D. sargus |
The sargo or white seabream (Diplodus sargus) is a species of seabream native to the eastern Atlantic and western Indian Oceans.[1] It is found from the Bay of Biscay southwards to South Africa, including Madeira and the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean and (rarely) the Black Sea. Occasionally individuals are found off the Indian Ocean coasts of South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar, and they are very rarely found elsewhere in the Indian Ocean, such as off Oman. An active fish, they inhabit the surf zone, but they may be found down to 50 m.
They consume small crustaceans, mollusks and some seaweed and coral, using their strong jaws to crush shells. Individuals can reach 45 cm, but average 22 cm.
Diplodus sargus are protandrous hermaphrodites, with individuals starting out life as males, and some becoming female later on.
It is commercially fished, with 3,713 t taken in 2008.[1] Some are reared using aquacultural techniques. The catch is eaten immediately or marketed locally, as the flesh tastes good only when fresh.
Two US Navy submarines were named for this nimble fish, USS Sargo (SS-188) and USS Sargo (SSN-583).
Description
It has a tall body and flattened laterally as it happens in other white breams . The mouth is quite small armed with incisive teeth. The pectoral fins are broad and pointed, the ventral fins are black with a clear band in the center. All odd fins are edged in black, the caudal fin has a much wider black border.
The color is overall silvery, with 5 black vertical lines (more conspicuous in small specimens) alternating with 4 dark gray, plus a black spot on the part of the posterior body, just before the caudal fin , which does not extend to the lower margin of the caudal peduncle. . During the reproductive period the upper part of the muzzle becomes bluish.
It reaches a maximum length of 45 cm for 2 kg of weight. Lives up to 10 years.
Subspecies
The species has one accepted subspecies:[2]
- Diplodus sargus cadenati (de la Paz, et al., 1974), occurs off the European and West African coasts, and off Madeira and the Canary Islands
Other former subspecies have been accepted as separate species:[2]
- Diplodus sargus ascensionis: as Diplodus ascensionis (Valenciennes, 1830)
- Diplodus sargus capensis: as Diplodus capensis (Smith, 1846)
- Diplodus sargus helenae: as Diplodus helenae (Sauvage, 1879)
- Diplodus sargus kotschyi: as Diplodus kotschyi (Steindachner, 1876)
- Diplodus sargus lineatus: as Diplodus lineatus (Valenciennes, 1830)
Distribution and Habitat
This species is widespread in the Mediterranean , in the Black Sea (rare) and in the eastern Atlantic Ocean as far north as the Gulf of Biscay . In the Italian seas it is very common.
It is a fairly versatile species with regards to habitat . It can in fact be found on hard, sandy bottoms, in Posidonia oceanica and even inside lagoons where the salinity is not too low. The preferred environment is however those of rocks covered with dense vegetation. It is a strictly coastal species.
Biology
It is a gregarious species when young while becoming solitary as an adult.
Alimentation
It feeds on crustaceans and other benthic invertebrates , when young, including algae . It particularly prefers the hedgehog Paracentrotus lividus , of which it is the main predator, but only when it reaches the largest size with relative development of the dentition, which allows it to break the shell even if it has quills.
Reproduction
It reproduces in the months of January-March in the eastern Mediterranean and later, in spring, in the western one.
Fishing
It is caught in large numbers with gillnets , longlines , pots and lines. The meats are highly prized and highly sought after.
Spearfishing with speargun can be done with the three main techniques: aspect, ambush or lair. The largest specimens are usually found in burrows, even in small cracks in which one would not expect to find a suitable specimen. The appearance technique is usually the least profitable, as the bream outside the burrows is wary. In rough seas it is easy to meet large specimens outside their burrows in open water. The behavior of the bream changes totally in marine reserves. [ without source ]
