Sciaena umbra is a fish between 30 to 40 cm long but that can reach
60 cm. Its flat belly and its strongly curved back give it a particular shape easily
recognizable. The anal and pelvic fins are black with an anterior white border. The two dorsal fins and
the straight-ending caudal fin, are yellow with a black margin. The gray body has golden and silver
glints. It is laterally compressed. The mouth is large reaching the level of the eye. The brown meagre
is rather a nocturnal fish but it can sometimes be encountered during the day among seagrass beds,
on rocky bottoms close to caves or large crevices in which it can shelter. It lives in small groups,
often less active at day than at night when it catches small fish, crustaceans or shellfish.
It is found from 5 m to 200 m deep, in the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel and the
Mediterranean Sea.
Phylum Vertebrata, class Actinopterygii, order Perciformes, family Sciaenidae, Sciaena umbra Linnaeus, 1758.
Pelvic fin: Fin on the lower part of the fish's body near the head, also called ventral fin.
Anal fin: Fin on the lower part of the fish's body near the tail.
Dorsal fin: Fin on the fish's back.
Caudal fin: Fin forming the fish's tail.
Photograph: © William Desmartin. Published with author's kind permission.
Sciaena umbra, Tiuccia, Corsica, South of France. Depth 20 meters.
Text: Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2007-2008.
Translation: Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2007-2008.
