Horned Bream

Diplodus cervinushas an oval shaped body which is deep and compressed with a moderately sharp snout and a thick lipped slightly protrusible mouth. There are between 10 and 12 incisor-like teeth in the front of the upper jaw with 8 in the lower jaw. Behind these there are between 1 and 3, typically 2, rows of molar-like teeth. The dorsal fin is supported by 11 or 12 spines, increasing in height until the fourth spine, and between 11 and 14 soft rays. The anal fin has 3 spines and between 10 and 12 soft rays supporting it. The tail is forked. The background colour is silvery or golden grey with 5 thick dark vertical bars on the upper body and flanks, a dark area around the eyes and cheeks, dark tip to the snout and a small dark spot at the upper part of the base of the pectoral fin. The pelvic fins are dark with the other fins being greyish, becoming darker towards their margins. The annular seabream has a maximum published total length of 55 cm (22 in), although 35 cm (14 in) is more typical, and a maximum published weight of 2.7 kg (6.0 lb).

Diplodus cervinus is found in the eastern AtlanticOcean from the Bay of Biscay to Mauretania, including the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Cape Verde Islands, into the Mediterranean Sea but not the Black Sea. This is a benthopelagic species, found at depths between 30 and 80 m (98 and 262 ft) over rocky substrates but over sand substrates it can be found down to 300 m (980 ft).

Diplodus cervinus has the specific name cervinus which means "deer" which comes from the Portuguese name for this species on Madeira, where Lowe collected the type, sargo veado which translates as "deer sea bream".