How to catch Blotched picarel
Spicara maena (Linnaeus, 1758)
About Blotched picarel fishing
The blotched picarel is a small ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, featuring a fusiform and fairly deep body with a protrusible upper jaw and small teeth. Males reach a maximum length of about 25 cm, while females grow slightly smaller up to 21 cm. This species displays a blue-grey dorsal coloration with silvery flanks, accented by small dark spots and a characteristic large dark blotch above the pectoral fin tip. It inhabits marine waters of the eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Black Seas, typically residing in neritic zones over sandy, muddy, and rocky substrates as well as seagrass meadows across depths of 30 to 130 metres. Spicara maena is a gregarious, schooling species that feeds on zooplankton and benthic invertebrates, reproducing as a protogynous hermaphrodite through demersal spawning where males construct nests on the seabed.
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Difficulty
Medium
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Average size
15 cm
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Market value
High
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Habitat
Saltwater
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Season
Spring, Summer, Autumn
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Also known as
Picarel
Lateral Body Spot
Distinct dark oval blotch on the mid-flank identifying the blotched picarel.
Protractile Mouth
Extensible lower jaw adapted for feeding on plankton and small benthic organisms.
Forked Caudal Fin
Deeply forked tail fin providing strong propulsion for open water swimming.
Blotched picarel fishing facts
Characteristics
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Typical size
15 cm (max 25 cm SL ) -
Typical weight
0.2 kg (max 0.2 kg ) -
Preferred temperature
13–18.1 °C -
Depth
30–130 m -
Longevity
5 years -
Body shape
Fusiform / Normal -
Commercial?
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Vulnerability score
35.9
Best hours
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Low
Dawn
First light
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Peak
Morning
After sunrise
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Peak
Midday
High sun
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Active
Afternoon
Late day
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Low
Dusk
Last light
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Low
Night
After dark
When to fish for Blotched picarel
How to catch Blotched picarel
Tips for catching Blotched picarel
Anglers targeting the blotched picarel usually focus their efforts over sandy or rocky bottoms near seagrass beds where these schooling fish congregate to feed on small organisms. Because of their small mouths and planktivorous diet, fine tackle is essential for success. Light bottom fishing rigs or delicate float presentations equipped with small hooks baited with pieces of marine worms or small shrimp work best. The peak activity occurs during daylight hours through the warmer spring and summer months when the fish move into their spawning and feeding grounds. Presentation should be kept near the seabed or just above the weed growth, maintaining a sensitive approach to detect subtle bites from schooling specimens.
Other names for Blotched picarel
Local and alternate names anglers use for Blotched picarel.
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Blotched picarel
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Picarel
How Blotched picarel migrates — Inshore–offshore
Shifts between shallow inshore water and deeper offshore grounds with the season.
1 Warm months
Inshore
Stay close inshore through the warm months.
2 Cold months
Offshore
Move offshore into deeper water as it cools.
Hover or tap a number to read each stage.
Diet and behavior of Blotched picarel
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Diet
Top predator -
Feeds by
Picks plankton -
Hunts
Morning · Midday -
Feeds over
Soft bottom · Hard bottom
Prey and predators of Blotched picarel
Prey is what Blotched picarel eats. Predators are the animals that eat it.
That is how it feeds, and how it is hunted.
Predators
What hunts it
Fish
Where Blotched picarel lives
Pelagic over the continental shelf — coastal open water, not the deep ocean.
30–130 m
Where this species lives
Blotched picarel photos for identification
Compare these photos with the catalog plate to identify the species.
Where to fish for Blotched picarel
Mapped fishing spots where Blotched picarel is recorded — open a pin for access and methods.
