East Atlantic Peacock Wrasse

Body is oval and laterally flattened. Mouth is rather small, more or less protrusive, with rather strong canine-like teeth. There are a few cephalic pores on the snout; lips are with 6–9 folds. Head is generally longer than body depth. Dorsal fin is very long and reaches almost to the tail. Both sexes have a small dark spot at base of caudal fin and a dark blotch just above pectoral fin. Also, many darker spots on the body form 3 or 4 longitudinal stripes. Generally, color reflects sexual dimorphism. Females and juveniles are grey-greenish or brownish, fading to a silvery color on the belly. Between immature males and mature females there are almost no differences in color. Males are more brightly colored, especially in the breeding season. Pale green, green-bluish or green-yellowish, longitudinal rows of red spots, with upper part of head dark blue. East Atlantic Peacock Wrasse can reach 44 cm (17 in) in standard length, though most grow no larger than 25 cm (9.8 in). Due to relatively small dimensions, this species is rarely sought as a game fish, but it is sometimes sold locally for food when caught in local artisanal fisheries. …

It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Spain to Morocco and can be found in the coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. This gregarious littoral fish is found on rocky reefs covered by algae, on sea-grass meadows, around rocks surrounded by eelgrass and can also be found in brackish waters in lagoons. It occurs at depths from 1 to 50 m (3.3 to 164.0 ft).

Symphodus tinca is often underestimated regarding its taste and aroma - meat is soft, tender and very tasty. Unfortunately, larger specimens are rare. Smaller fish can be pan fried or made as part of mixed fish soup. Larger specimens are barbecued or prepared as part of mixed fish stew.