Symphodus mediterraneus, Axillary wrasse : fisheries, gamefish, aquarium

Symphodus mediterraneus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Axillary wrasse
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Symphodus mediterraneus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Symphodus mediterraneus (Axillary wrasse)
Symphodus mediterraneus
Picture by Patzner, R.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) > Labridae (Wrasses) > Labrinae
Etymology: Symphodus: Greek, syn, symphysis = grown together + Greek, odous = teeth (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; demersal; depth range 1 - 50 m (Ref. 5292). Subtropical; 45°N - 32°N, 32°W - 36°E

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Atlantic: Portugal to northern Morocco, including Azores and Madeira and also throughout the Mediterranean.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 9.0  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 18.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4742); common length : 12.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4742); max. reported age: 8 years (Ref. 4742)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics


Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Adults are found mainly in eel-grass beds. Often in pairs. Males nest-makers. Feed mainly on mollusks, gastropods, bivalves, tubicolous worms, chitons, sea urchins and bryozoans (Ref. 4742). Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205). Males build dish shaped nests and guard the eggs (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Westneat, Mark | Collaborators

Quignard, J.-P. and A. Pras, 1986. Labridae. p. 919-942. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 4742)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 12 July 2008

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Territories
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
Genome
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Genetic Diversity
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
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Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures
References
References

Tools

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Special reports

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | DORIS | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | National databases | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index
(Ref. 82804) 		PD50 = 0.5005 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight a=0.00977 (0.00784 - 0.01218), b=3.06 (3.02 - 3.10), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level
(Ref. 69278) 		3.2   ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.
Generation time 2.3 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 2 growth studies.
Resilience
(Ref. 120179) 		Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.47-0.63; tm=2-3; tmax=8).
Fishing Vulnerability
(Ref. 59153) 		Low vulnerability (23 of 100). 🛈
Price category
(Ref. 80766) 		Very high.
Nutrients
(Ref. 124155) 		Calcium = 158 [83, 343] mg/100g; Iron = 1.47 [0.72, 3.01] mg/100g; Protein = 18.4 [15.5, 20.4] %; Omega3 = 0.384 [0.230, 0.669] g/100g; Selenium = 20.6 [11.1, 41.6] μg/100g; VitaminA = 18.2 [5.6, 70.8] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.14 [0.78, 1.94] mg/100g (wet weight);