Fish
Sargo
Diplodus sargus · also called white seabream
Along the base of a harbour wall in the Mediterranean, a shoal of sargo grazes the weed, each silver fish crossed by dark bars and marked with a black saddle at the tail.
Overview
The sargo, Diplodus sargus, is a Least Concern sea bream of rocky coasts, reefs, and harbour walls in the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic. Its barred pattern, tail saddle, and incisor-like teeth make it one of the most familiar fish seen by snorkellers in southern Europe.
A fish with teeth for scraping
The sargo’s incisor-like teeth let it nip barnacles, mussels, and weed from the rocks, which makes it one of the key grazers of the rocky shore.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common.
Sargo: common questions
What does the sargo look like?
It has a deep, oval, silvery-grey body with several dark vertical bars and a black saddle around the base of its tail.
What does the sargo eat?
It eats shellfish, sea urchins, worms, small crustaceans, and algae, scraped from rocks with its incisor-like teeth.
Is the sargo the same as the white seabream?
Yes, white seabream is another common name for the sargo.
Where is the sargo found?
It lives on rocky coasts, reefs, and harbour walls of the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic, from the Bay of Biscay to South Africa.