Brown meagre
(Sciaena umbra)
General data
The brown meagre or corb (Sciaena umbra) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species found in the eastern Atlantic, from the southern English Channel south to Senegal and Cape Verde, including the Canary Islands, Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea occurring in shallow waters and sandy bottoms. It is harvested for human consumption, especially in the Mediterranean.
The brown meagre is found at depths between 5 m and 200 m, mainly over rocky and sandy substrates and the young enter estuarine environments.
The brown meagre is between 30 and 40 cm in length but can grow to 60 cm. It has a flat belly and its strongly arched back which give it an easily recognisable shape, the body is laterally compressed and the large, horizontal mouth reaches the level of the eye and contains villiform teeth. The anal and pelvic fins are black with an anterior white border. Both dorsal fins and the truncate caudal fin, are yellow with a black border. The body is grey with flashes of gold and silver. The scales are ctenoid on the nape and the body while the head scales are cycloid.
