The Common Two Banded Seabream, also known as Blacktail Bream, is a species in the family of Sparidae and thus belongs to the superclass of the bony fish.
Description
Diplodus vulgaris has a high-backed, laterally compressed body. The basic colour is silver, with two thick black vertical stripes. One of these is directly behind the head, while the other isjust before the beginning of the tail fin. Furthermore, it has several horizontal, yellow-dotted lines on the body. Another blue, dotted line runs above the side line. Between its big eyes, the Common Two Banded Seabream has a golden point.
It reaches a maximum length of 45cm.
Habitat and Distribution
The Common Two Banded Seabream lives over rocky or sandy ground, in depths down to 160m.
When diving in the Canaries you can observe them frequently.
In addition, Diplodus vulgaris is spread from the Bay of Biscay in the south-western atlantic coast of France, via Madeira and the Canary Islands, along the African coast, all the way to Senegal. It is also found in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
Biology
Diplodus vulgaris lives solitaire or in small groups, sometimes mixed with other species such as the White Seabream. It feeds on invertebrates, crustaceans, snails and algae.
At the age of two years, the Common Two Banded Seabream becomes sexually mature as female, later its sex changes to male.
Although the maximum proved age is 20 years, the average age is 8 years.