Temperate Seawaters

The swallowtail seaperch is found between 30 and 200 meters deep. It lives near cavities where it seeks refuge in case of danger. The male has large pectoral fins and is surrounded by a harem of about a dozen females. If he dies, the dominant female transforms into a male (protogynous hermaphroditism).

Fertilization is internal. The male uses his anal fin to fertilize the female. The female lays a batch of eggs that the male will keep in his mouth until the young hatch. During this period, he does not feed and can die from starvation if he has not accumulated enough reserves.

It often looks for food at the bottom. At nightfall, it rises to the surface to eat zooplankton. It sometimes is subject to overfishing in the Mediterranean. It is also used as a bait to catch tuna.

The Mediterranean damselfish is a saltwater fish widely found in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean. In spring, males defend a spawning area and fan the eggs until they hatch. Juveniles are bright blue and live in small groups.

Large males can be recognized by their green backs, their white bellies and their broad orange line on the flanks. The coloration, associated with a characteristic swimming, is used to impress other males and attract the attention of females, but also predators.

Dicentrarchus labrax also known as European seabass is an emblematic fish of European coasts. The species has been known and appreciated for its meat since the Antiquity. Unfortunately, it is threatened by overfishing. Today, most of the seabass consumed in Europe are raised in aquaculture farms.

It differs from other bream species by its smaller size and golden reflections. It is a hermaphrodite species protandrous: males become females during their lives. Its meat is less appreciated than other sparidae (sea bream, bream ...).

It is sometimes called the "Saint Anthony" because of the black strip on the back of it head that resembles the hood of a monk. It is often found in groups with other species of bream. It is highly sought after by fishermen.

The dusky grouper is a major predator of shallow rocky areas, hunting stealthily for octopuses, invertebrates, and fish. Despite its global distribution, it is threatened by overfishing. This species has been protected on the French Mediterranean coast since 1993. The combined effects of regulations, climate change, and marine protected areas contribute to the successful restoration of grouper populations, which are increasing once again.

It is the largest of the seahorse species. During mating, the female lays eggs in the pouch of the male called "Marsupium". When the development of the alevins is completed, the male "gives birth"! The specimens presented in the aquarium were born in captivity.

This nocturnal animal also feeds on animal carcasses. Its bite is not venomous, but very painful. Its body, devoid of roughness (scales, pectoral fins...), allows it to easily back into a hole.

Like all crustaceans, it is forced to mutate to grow. Unlike lobster, it has no large claws, but its shell is covered with thorns. It uses its long antennae as "whips" to protect themselves from predators. Those are captured using traps or nets.

It often lives below 30 meters depth. In the spring, it goes close to the surface to spawn in the sea grass. Its spines are venomous. The sting is very painful, but rarely fatal. It is one of the essential ingredients of bouillabaisse.

It is especially active at dusk. During the day, it stays on the bottom. It can close it eyes with a sort of eyelids. Its flesh is edible, but it liver is toxic! Its eggs can be incubated and hatched in an aquarium.

During breeding, the bream groups enter lagoons and estuaries to mate. Sought after since the Antiquity for the quality of its meat: the Romans fattened bream in tanks. Its intensive pisciculture has developed since the 80s.

The black seabream is a prized species in western fisheries. It lives alone or in large groups near seagrass beds and rocky bottoms, seeking small invertebrates such as crustaceans or mollusks.

It is one of the most colorful Mediterranean fish. The female has a black spot on the dorsal fin. The stain will disappear and its color becomes more vivid when it will change sex (hermaphroditism protogynous). It is more abundant in the northern Mediterranean.

It lives mostly on rocky bottoms. It uses it body like a sucker to hang "upside down" on the smooth rocks. Its meat is appreciated, but it is seldom fished, and captured specimens are often small.