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Seabass

Seabass ©Alex Mustard/2020VISION

European seabass

Seabass is a seafood favourite, appearing on menus throughout the UK. But it's in trouble in UK seas, with much of the seabass we eat imported from European fish farms.

Scientific name

Dicentrarchus labrax

When to see

January to December

Species information

Statistics

Length: Up to 100cm
Considered of Least Concern globally on the IUCN Red List of species, but ICES list the regional stock as overexploited and rapidly declining.

Habitats

About

The European seabass is a predatory fish found around the UK. They are highly mobile, migrating inshore in summer months when they are found in estuaries and surprisingly far upstream in rivers. In the winter months they move offshore and then in spring will gather in large shoals to spawn. They feed on crustaceans and small fish such as sand eels. Estuaries are also an important nursery habitat for juvenile seabass, where the sheltered conditions and plentiful food supply make for a great place to grow. They are particularly slow growing and don't reach sexual maturity until the age of 4-8 years old.

How to identify

Identifiable by its silvery colour, this large fish has two distinct dorsal fins, the first of which has 8 or 9 spines. Juveniles are recognisable by the black spots on their upper body; these spots are normally absent in adults.

Distribution

Most common on South and West coasts on England, Wales and Scotland.

Did you know?

Seabass was one of the first fish to be grown in fish farms in Europe. As they love estuaries and coastal waters, they thrived in early attempts to rear them in coastal lagoons in the Mediterranean. They are now reared commercially - in fact, the seabass you eat in the UK has probably come from a Mediterranean fish farm!