European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) cover photo - 8860841

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The European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax, also known as Morone labrax, is a primarily ocean-going fish that sometimes enters brackish and fresh water. It is also known as the sea dace. As a food fish, it is often marketed as mediterranean seabass, bronzini or branzini (branzino is the name of the fish in Northern Italy; in other parts of the country it is called spigola or ragno). The European seabass is a member of the Moronidae family. The name Dicentrarchus derives from the presence of two dorsal fins. It has silver sides and a white belly. Juvenile fish maintain black spots on the back and sides, a feature that can create confusion with Dicentrarchus punctatus. This fish's operculum is serrated and spined. It can grow to a total length of over 1 m (3.3 ft) and 15 kg of weight. Its habitats include estuaries, lagoons, coastal waters and rivers. It is found in the waters in and around Europe, including the eastern Atlantic Ocean (from Norway to Senegal), the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. It is mostly a night hunter, feeding on small fish, polychaetes, cephalopods and crustaceans. The fish has come under increasing pressure from commercial fishing and has recently become the focus in the United Kingdom of a conservation effort by recreational anglers. In Italy the seabass is subject of intensive breeding in salt waters.