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How to catch Common dentex

Dentex dentex (Linnaeus, 1758)

About Common dentex fishing

The common dentex is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the seabream family Sparidae, featuring an oval, compressed body with a smoothly rounded head profile in adults and distinctive canine teeth at the front of the jaws. Growing up to 100 cm in total length and 14.25 kg, juveniles exhibit a greyish hue with dark spots while mature specimens turn pinkish and the oldest fish adopt a bluish-grey shade. This benthopelagic predator inhabits hard bottoms such as rocks and rubble from shallow inshore waters down to 200 metres, being most common between 15 and 50 metres. Adults are typically solitary except during their spring spawning season when they aggregate in warmer surface waters. Feeding actively on fish, molluscs and cephalopods, it is valued highly by both commercial fisheries and recreational anglers across the Mediterranean and northeastern Atlantic.

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Average size

    50 cm TL

  • Market value

    Very high

  • Habitat

    Saltwater

  • Season

    Spring, Summer, Autumn

  • Also known as

    Dentex, Porgy

Common dentex

Caudal shape

Deeply forked tail fin helps distinguish this species from round-tailed sparids.

Canine teeth

Developed canine teeth in jaws characterize this predatory sparid species.

Body spots

Scattered dark reddish spots along the upper flanks identify the common dentex.

Common dentex fishing facts

Characteristics

  • Typical size

    50 cm TL (max 100 cm TL )

  • Typical weight

    2.5 kg (max 14.2 kg )

  • Preferred temperature

    13.3–21.1 °C

  • Depth

    0–200 m

  • Longevity

    36 years

  • Body shape

    Fusiform / Normal

  • Commercial?

  • Vulnerability score

    66.3

Best hours

  • Dawn

    First light

    Peak

  • Morning

    After sunrise

    Active

  • Midday

    High sun

    Low

  • Afternoon

    Late day

    Active

  • Dusk

    Last light

    Peak

  • Night

    After dark

    Low

When to fish for Common dentex

01
January
02
February
03
March
04
April
05
May
06
June
07
July
08
August
09
September
10 Now
October
11
November
12
December

How to catch Common dentex

Tips for catching Common dentex

Targeting this powerful predator requires precision and an understanding of its rocky domain. Anglers achieve success by fishing over rough ground, drop-offs and rocky reefs where adults hunt solitarily. Using live baits such as squid or small fish presented near the bottom yields excellent results, especially when fished from an anchored or drifting boat. For lure enthusiasts, heavy casting jigs or realistic soft plastics worked methodically near the seabed imitate their natural prey of fish and cephalopods. The best sport occurs during the warmer daylight hours, particularly around dawn and dusk in spring and autumn when fish move shallower to feed and aggregate.

Other names for Common dentex

Local and alternate names anglers use for Common dentex.

  • Common dentex
  • Porgy
  • Dentex

Best equipment to catch Common dentex

Compare fishing methods for Common dentex — sized kit for each technique.

Note: Typical fish is 2.5 kg Our algorithm will suggest the best equipment for you based on this weight.

Best lures and baits for Common dentex

Ranked lures and natural baits from every method, best first.

How Common dentex migrates — Bathymetric

Shifts between shallow and deeper water with the seasons rather than moving along the coast. Change depth before you change venue.

How Common dentex migrates — Bathymetric 1. Warm months: Feed in shallow water through the warm months. 2. Cold months: Drop into deeper water as it cools.
Shallow water Deep water

1 Warm months

Shallow water

Feed in shallow water through the warm months.

2 Cold months

Deep water

Drop into deeper water as it cools.

Larger adults often stay deeper all year.

Hover or tap a number to read each stage.

Diet and behavior of Common dentex

  • Diet

    Top predator

  • Feeds by

    Hunts animals

  • Hunts

    Dawn · Dusk

  • Feeds over

    Soft bottom · Hard bottom · Seagrass

Prey and predators of Common dentex

Prey is what Common dentex eats. Predators are the animals that eat it.

That is how it feeds, and how it is hunted.

Predators

What hunts it

Fish

  • Seriola demerili juv./adults

Where Common dentex lives

Lives near the bottom but swims in the water just above it. Cover the lower column, not only the mud.

Habitats
Saltwater
Depth zone
Sublittoral, Bathyal
0–200 m
Usually 15–50 m
Water column
Benthopelagic
Just above the bed

Where this species lives

Where to fish for Common dentex

Mapped fishing spots where Common dentex is recorded — open a pin for access and methods.

Badia de Pollença

Illes BalearsIlles BalearsSpain

Luka Šibenik

ŠibenikŠibensko-kninska županijaCroatia

Uvala Hrasna

StonDubrovačko-neretvanska županijaCroatia

Liménas Chelíou

ArgolisPeloponnese RegionGreece

Limáni Nafplíou

ArgolisPeloponnese RegionGreece

Ormískos Lákka

CorfuIoanian IslandsGreece