Teleostei (teleosts) >
Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) >
Sparidae (Porgies)
Etymology: Lithognathus: Greek, lithos = stone + Greek, gnathos = jaw (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Smith.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 1 - ? m. Tropical; 13°S - 28°S
Southeast Atlantic: Angola to South Africa.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 46.4  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3198); max. published weight: 19.3 kg (Ref. 3670); max. reported age: 50 years (Ref. 37572)
Found inshore over sandy bottoms. Feeds on sand mussels, worms and crabs. Protandrous (Ref. 4332), but some specimens with both male and female gonads well-developed at the same time (Ref. 3198). Commonly fished between October and March (Ref. 36731). A popular angling fish and an important food fish.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Bauchot, M.-L. and J.-C. Hureau, 1990. Sparidae. p. 790-812. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 3688)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
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