- published: 02 Aug 2014
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The European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is a primarily ocean-going fish that sometimes enters brackish and fresh waters. It is also known as the sea dace. Highly regarded as a table fish, it is often marketed as Mediterranean seabass, loup de mer, robalo, lubina, spigola, branzino, or bronzino.
Debate has been ferocious in Britain in recent years as to the origin of the word "seabass". The traditional word was "bass", but that has changed with the recent popularity of cooking programmes and the expansion of restaurant marketing, both of which have adopted the phrase "seabass". There is only one type of bass in the British Isles and thus the expression "seabass" is probably unnecessary, although the large mouth (or black) bass indigenous to North America has been widely stocked in Southern Europe with significant breeding populations in many lakes and rivers in southwestern France. Thus, the distinction is valid in a European context.
The European bass is a member of the Moronidae family. The name Dicentrarchus derives from the presence of two dorsal fins. It has silver sides and a white belly. Juvenile fish maintain black spots on the back and sides, a feature that can create confusion with Dicentrarchus punctatus. This fish's operculum is serrated and spined. It can grow to a total length of over 1 m (3.3 ft) and 15 kg of weight.