Dicentrarchus punctatus (Bloch)

Family Moronidae

REMARKS Maximum length 70 cm. The back and sides are marked by small black spots. The species is said to be more cunning and hard to catch than the ordinary sea bass. It is found mostly in the southern parts of the Mediterranean, and is very common round Gibraltar, since it is basically an Atlantic species. It is imported frozen for the Italian market, where it is sold as spigola atlantica. From the cook’s point of view it may be treated like the ordinary sea bass.