Fun European Seabass Facts For Kids

The scientific name of the European seabass is Dicentrarchus labrax. It lives in estuaries, lagoons, coastal waters like coastal lagoons, and river mouths of Europe, Greece, France, Spain, the eastern Atlantic Ocean near southern Norway and Senegal, the Mediterranean Sea, and the south of the Black Sea. This fish can live in brackish waters like those of estuaries because it has high salinity tolerance. It is farmed in fisheries and sold into the market as fresh seafood. This seabass reaches sexual maturity after five to eight years and has an elongated silver body with a forked tail. They reproduce by laying eggs that are pelagic and spawn in March-June.If you like reading about the European seabass, also check out exciting facts about Pilchard and Bonito fish!

What do they prey on? Small fish, marine worms, mollusks, and crustaceans

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 300,000 eggs in one spawning

How much do they weigh? Maximum: 26.5 lb (12 kg) Average: 11 lb (5 kg)

How long are they? Maximum: 3.3 ft (1 m) Average: 1.6 ft (0.5 m)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Silvery grey body with forked tail; juveniles have dark spots

Skin Type Wet and slimy scales

What were their main threats? Overfishing

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Rivers, Estuaries, Lagoons, Coastal Waters

Locations Northern Africa, Europe, Mediterranean Coasts

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Dicentrarchus

Class Actinopterygii

Family Moronidae

European Seabass Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a European seabass?The European seabass is a fish species belonging to the Dicentrachus genus.What class of animal does a European seabass belong to?The European sea bass belongs to the class of bony fish, Actinopterygii.How many European seabasses are there in the world?The exact number of European seabass in the world is unknown. The countries report the quantity of sea bass caught while fishing by fisheries to FAO - Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.Where does a European seabass live? The European seabass is found in the waters of Europe, Greece, France, Spain, the eastern Atlantic Ocean near southern Norway and Senegal, the Mediterranean Sea, and the south of the Black Sea during the summer. It is not found in the Baltic Sea. This species enters coastal waters and the mouth of rivers in summer (March to June) but migrates offshore seasonally and occurs in deep water during winter, north of their range. It breeds inshore in the spring and moves offshore in the winter.What is a European seabass’s habitat? European sea bass habitats in the wild generally include a range of estuaries, lagoons, coastal waters like coastal lagoons, and river mouths.Who do European seabasses live with?The European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is a very social species of fish, living in shoals from the end of its larval stage. It is not uncommon to see it mixing with other species of the same size.How long does a European seabass live?European sea bass can live for up to 25 years in the wild. It is a slow-growing fish that attains maturity at seven to eight years of age. They are usually aquaculture farmed by fisheries before they live out their entire lifespan in the ocean.How do they reproduce?The males of European sea bass species which are found in the Atlantic attain sexual maturity at four to seven years of age and 11.8-15.7 in (30-40 cm) size and females at five to eight years of age and 14.2-18.1 in (36-46 cm) in females. The adults move inshore to spawn in spring from March to mid-June. The spawning system occurs in batches, and eggs are pelagic. The length of time taken by embryo development depends on the temperature of the water temperature; it lasts around three to four days at 55.4-57.2 °F (13-14° C), after which the eggs hatch and larvae move inshore. Juveniles remain in the shallow coastal waters for four to five years till they mature, after which they migrate between the spawning grounds and feeding grounds in the winter.What is their conservation status?Although this fish is popular in aquaculture fishing and is often overfished, they have maintained a stable population across their wide distribution range. This sea bass species is listed as Least Concern in the Red List. The population of this seabass species is stable, has more than 10,000 species globally, and has seen a decrease of less than 10% in the last 10 years or three generations.European Seabass Fun FactsWhat do European seabasses look like?The body of European sea bass is silvery gray and elongated, up to 3.3 ft (1 m) in length. They have 8-10 dorsal spines and 12-13 soft rays, two anal spines, and 12 anal soft rays. The head has cycloid-shaped scales, and the mouth is protrusible. It has anterior teeth arranged in a crescent shape. Juveniles have dark spots on the body.How cute are they?This seabass species is very cute, and its shiny silver-colored body is beautiful.How do they communicate?The European sea bass uses touch, smell, or chemicals to communicate. Since they live in schools, they are near each other and can communicate easily using these means.How big is a European seabass? The European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) can grow up to 3.3 ft (1 m) in length and an average of 1.6 ft (0.5 m). The average length of this fish is five times that of a pumpkinseed sunfish and the same size as a small rainbow trout.How fast can a European seabass swim?The exact speed of a European seabass is not known, but it can travel very long distances.How much does a European seabass weigh?The European seabass can weigh up to 26.5 lb (12 kg), but most adults weigh an average of 11 lb (5 kg). These fish are three to four times heavier than spotted catfish and Atlantic cod.What are the male and female names of the species?The males and females of this sea bass fish species do not have any particular names. They do not exhibit sexual dimorphism thus cannot be distinguished visually. They are generally called male or female European sea bass.What would you call a baby European seabass?The baby European seabass has no particular name. It is generally called young, juvenile, or young. As juveniles, they live inshore for the first four to five years of their life and have distinctive black spots on their body.What do they eat? The seabass diet includes small fish, marine worms, mollusks, and crustaceans. This species is famous as European seabass Boston fresh seafood and are farmed by aquaculture fisheries.Are they dangerous?No, this sea bass fish species is not dangerous. They are not very predatory towards other fish either.Would they make a good pet?These fish are usually not kept as home pets, as they are migratory by nature. Their natural habitat and breeding requirements can not be met at a home aquarium. They are sometimes kept in commercial aquariums.Did you know…In European seabass, mercury content is shallow compared to other fish. That makes this safe for pregnant women to consume as food regularly.The meat of a seabass is pinkish when raw and white when it is cooked. It is flaky, lean, has a fine texture, and is mildly sweet in taste. Some people believe that the wild catch is more flavorful compared to the farmed fish.Any aquaculture of European seabass guide mentions that a sea caging system is used for their bulk production, which is eventually distributed to the market as fresh seafood.Argyrosomus regius (meager) and European seabass have a similar shape and form and can easily be wrongly identified by a novice.The Italian name for this fish, Branzino (European seabass), is commonly used in North America.For wild catch, these sea bass fish are caught using a long line or rod and line.Is the European seabass endangered?No, the European sea bass is not endangered. Their population is stable and has an extensive range.What role does the European seabass play in the ecosystem?The European seabass is a popular seafood and is a source of food for humans. While the fish itself isn’t environmentally destructive, the seafood industry is. It depletes the marine population by overfishing and causes water pollution.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our chum salmon facts and brook trout facts pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable European seabass coloring pages. Second image by JoJan.

What type of animal is a European seabass?

The European seabass is a fish species belonging to the Dicentrachus genus.

Fun European Seabass Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Small fish, marine worms, mollusks, and crustaceans

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 300,000 eggs in one spawning

How much do they weigh? Maximum: 26.5 lb (12 kg) Average: 11 lb (5 kg)

How long are they? Maximum: 3.3 ft (1 m) Average: 1.6 ft (0.5 m)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Silvery grey body with forked tail; juveniles have dark spots

Skin Type Wet and slimy scales

What were their main threats? Overfishing

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Rivers, Estuaries, Lagoons, Coastal Waters

Locations Northern Africa, Europe, Mediterranean Coasts

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Dicentrarchus

Class Actinopterygii

Family Moronidae

Fun European Seabass Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Small fish, marine worms, mollusks, and crustaceans

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 300,000 eggs in one spawning

How much do they weigh? Maximum: 26.5 lb (12 kg) Average: 11 lb (5 kg)

How long are they? Maximum: 3.3 ft (1 m) Average: 1.6 ft (0.5 m)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Silvery grey body with forked tail; juveniles have dark spots

Skin Type Wet and slimy scales

What were their main threats? Overfishing

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Rivers, Estuaries, Lagoons, Coastal Waters

Locations Northern Africa, Europe, Mediterranean Coasts

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Dicentrarchus

Class Actinopterygii

Family Moronidae

Fun European Seabass Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Small fish, marine worms, mollusks, and crustaceans

What do they eat? Carnivore

Average litter size? 300,000 eggs in one spawning

How much do they weigh? Maximum: 26.5 lb (12 kg) Average: 11 lb (5 kg)

How long are they? Maximum: 3.3 ft (1 m) Average: 1.6 ft (0.5 m)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Silvery grey body with forked tail; juveniles have dark spots

Skin Type Wet and slimy scales

What were their main threats? Overfishing

What is their conservation status? Least Concern

Where you’ll find them? Rivers, Estuaries, Lagoons, Coastal Waters

Locations Northern Africa, Europe, Mediterranean Coasts

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Dicentrarchus

Class Actinopterygii

Family Moronidae