Identification
An elegant fish of 20 to 40 cm with a pink to red body fading to silvery on the belly. Large head with slightly curved profile. Both sharp front teeth and molars.
Ecology
Lives on sand, mud, and rock bottoms at 10 to 200 meters. Omnivore. Protogynous hermaphrodite: starts as female, later becomes male.
In the Netherlands
Very rare in the North Sea. Occasionally caught as a vagrant in warm summers. Common and valued in the Mediterranean.
