the Meerbrassen is usually swarm-forming fish, who occur in the coast-regions of all tropical and restrained seas. The largest variety of this altogether approximately 200 types is found before the South African coast and in the Mediterranean.
Shape Meerbrassen are from high-re-y and at the side strongly compressed shape. The mouth is only small, often carries from type to type's differently trained catch and grinders, however. The tail fluke always is bifurcate. The long back-fin is nonstop; it is supported by Gliederstrahlen from thorn-radiations and in the rear part in the front.
Types Have a series of types meaning as food-fish.
In the Mediterranean, the Rotbrasse (Pagellus erythrinus) is caught, that can become up to 50 cm long. The Goldbrasse (Sparus auratus), whose body-sides gleam golden on green-silvery reason, is even more protected. In beautiful contrast by it, they of blue and violet colored fins stand. it becomes usually 30-40 cm long, more rarely also 60 cm. its food consists mainly of mussels, whose peels it pounds easily with the powerful teeth.
The mussel-fogeys (Cymatoceps nasutus), that occur in flat Meeresteilen of the South African coast, are tried on particularly at the mussel-food. With lengths of 1,20 m, they are the biggest representatives of the family. However, its meat is not regarded as especially valuable.
An important usefulness-fish is the gray-perch (Pagellus centrodontus, until 50 cm), an inhabitant of European coasts. Over 10 000 t are caught annually.
A robbery-fish is the Zahnbrasse (Dentex dentex), that also occurs in European waters. it can gain a length of 1 m. its way of life in accordance with, the fangs are very powerfully trained. they lacks the grinders typical for other Brassen.
Reproduction Some Meerbrassen are proterandrische hermaphrodites: Male sex-organs are positioned at first. After the animal lived some time as males, female sex-organs are trained, and the male ones receded. A female now became of the previous male. However also be able to be converted it as females of developed animals to males at first.
The Goldbrasse spawns in the winter-months of October until December. As the eggs swim freely with many Meeresfishesn by means of oil-drops in the water and becomes verdriftet from currents.
Some types, according to the gray-perch, become up to 15 years old.
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