Head to head
Gilthead Seabream vs Black Seabream
Gilthead Seabream
VS Black Seabream
The gilthead seabream and the black seabream are two deep-bodied sea breams of the eastern Atlantic, and both are prized by anglers and cooks.
| Gilthead Seabream | Black Seabream | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Sparus aurata | Spondyliosoma cantharus |
| Relationship | A fellow member of the sea bream family | A fellow member of the sea bream family |
| Appearance | A silvery-grey, deep, oval body with a golden band between the eyes and a dark patch at the top of the gill cover | A deep, oval, silvery-grey to dark body with faint lengthways stripes and a small mouth |
| Diet | Mussels, clams, oysters, crabs, and other shellfish, crushed with molar-like teeth, along with some plant material | Seaweed, small crustaceans, worms, and other small animals found on reefs and sandy ground |
| Sex | Starts life as a male and later changes into a female | The male clears a shallow nest in sand or gravel, turns dark blue to black in the breeding season, and guards the eggs |
| Habitat | Coastal waters, seagrass beds, and lagoons, moving into brackish water, especially when young | Shoals around rocky reefs, wrecks, and weedy ground, moving inshore in spring to spawn |
| Human use | One of the most important farmed fish in the Mediterranean | Popular with anglers and eaten in many countries, with fishing managed in some areas |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, across the Mediterranean and the eastern Atlantic from the British Isles to West Africa | Least Concern, from Norway and the British Isles to West Africa and the Mediterranean |
Gilthead Seabream vs Black Seabream: common questions
Which one changes sex?
The gilthead seabream starts life as a male and later changes into a female.
Which one guards a nest?
The black seabream male, who clears a shallow nest in sand or gravel, turns dark blue to black, and guards the eggs.
Which one is farmed?
The gilthead seabream, which is produced in large numbers in sea cages around the Mediterranean.