Species of the Temperate Zone

Astyanax jordani, also known as the blind tetra, is a small Mexican freshwater fish adapted to life in caves, where it feeds on organic debris and small invertebrates.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
  • Order: Characiformes
  • Family: Acestrorhamphidae
  • Species: Astyanax jordani (Hubbs & Innes, 1936)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Vulnerable (VU)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Decreasing

Dicentrarchus labrax, also known as the European seabass, is a large predatory fish found in the coastal waters and estuaries of Europe and North Africa. It feeds mainly on fish and crustaceans.

• Taxonomy :
  • Class: Actinopterygii
  • Order: Perciformes
  • Family: Moronidae
  • Species: Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Near Threatened (NT)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

Mugil cephalus is a coastal fish widely distributed throughout the world. It also inhabits lagoons and rivers, where it feeds mainly on detritus and benthic algae.

• Taxonomy :
  • Class: Actinopterygii
  • Order: Mugiliformes
  • Family: Mugilidae
  • Species: Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

Raja clavata is a ray found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It lives on sandy or muddy seabeds, where it feeds mainly on crustaceans, molluscs and small benthic fish.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Elasmobranchii
    
  • Order: Rajiformes
    
  • Family: Rajidae
    
  • Species: Raja clavata (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Near Threatened (NT)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Decreasing in certain areas (North Atlantic)

This small, common shark of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea lives on shallow seabeds, where it hunts molluscs and crustaceans at night.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Elasmobranchii
    
  • Order: Carcharhiniformes
    
  • Family: Scyliorhinidae
    
  • Species: Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

The shanny is a small intertidal fish found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It lives in rocky tidal pools and feeds on small invertebrates and algae.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Blenniiformes
    
  • Family: Blenniidae
    
  • Species: Lipophrys pholis (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

This coastal and intertidal fish of the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean lives in rocky areas. Using its five sensory barbels, it hunts small crustaceans and worms at night.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Gadiformes
    
  • Family: Lotidae
    
  • Species: Ciliata mustela (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

The thicklip grey mullet is a coastal fish that tolerates brackish and polluted waters. It is found from Iceland to Senegal and in the Mediterranean Sea, where it grazes on algae and small invertebrates growing on hard surfaces.

• Taxonomy :
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Mugiliformes
    
  • Family: Mugilidae
    
  • Species: Chelon labrosus (Risso, 1827)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

The sand goby is a small coastal fish that lives on sandy or muddy seabeds in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It feeds mainly on small crustaceans and worms.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Gobiiformes
    
  • Family: Gobiidae
    
  • Species: Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas, 1770)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

Symphodus cinereus is a small coastal fish found in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It lives in seagrass meadows and on algae-rich seabeds, where it feeds on small invertebrates.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Eupercaria
    
  • Family: Labridae
    
  • Species: Symphodus cinereus (Bonnaterre, 1788)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

Actinia equina, also known as the beadlet anemone, is an intertidal sea anemone found in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It attaches itself to rocks and captures small organisms using its stinging cells.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Hexacorallia
    
  • Order: Actiniaria
    
  • Family: Actiniidae
    
  • Species: Actinia equina (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation :
  • UCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

The common cuttlefish is a cephalopod found in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It is remarkable for its instantaneous camouflage, internal shell and sucker-covered arms, complemented by two retractable feeding tentacles.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Cephalopoda
    
  • Order: Sepiida
    
  • Family: Sepiidae
    
  • Species: Sepia officinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

Pollachius pollachius is a large predatory fish found in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean. It inhabits rocky coastal areas, where it feeds on fish and crustaceans.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Gadiformes
    
  • Family: Gadidae
    
  • Species: Pollachius pollachius (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

Chelon saliens is a mullet found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It inhabits coastal waters, lagoons and estuaries, where it feeds mainly on algae, detritus and small invertebrates.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Mugiliformes
    
  • Family: Mugilidae
    
  • Species: Chelon saliens (Risso, 1810)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Near Threatened (NT)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Decreasing

Trisopterus luscus, also known as the pouting, is a fish found in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and the western Mediterranean Sea. It lives in schools over various types of seabed, usually near shelters, where it feeds on small crustaceans, worms and small fish.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Gadiformes
    
  • Family: Gadidae
    
  • Species: Trisopterus luscus (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

The family Labridae comprises wrasses, fish found in tropical and temperate oceans. They live mainly near reefs, rocky seabeds or seagrass meadows, where they feed primarily on hard-shelled invertebrates.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Eupercaria
    
  • Family: Labridae (Cuvier, 1816)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Varies by species
    CITES: Varies by species
    EEP: Varies by species

Labrus bergylta is a wrasse found in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean. It lives in rocky areas and algae-rich coastal reefs, where it feeds mainly on crustaceans and molluscs.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Eupercaria
    
  • Family: Labridae
    
  • Species: Labrus bergylta (Ascanius, 1767)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

Scophthalmus maximus, also known as the turbot, is a large flatfish found in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. It lives on shallow seabeds, where it feeds mainly on benthic fish, crustaceans and molluscs.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Pleuronectiformes
    
  • Family: Scophthalmidae
    
  • Species: Scophthalmus maximus (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

Pleuronectes platessa is a flatfish found in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It lives on sandy or muddy seabeds, where it feeds mainly on bivalves, polychaete worms and small crustaceans.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Pleuronectiformes
    
  • Family: Pleuronectidae
    
  • Species: Pleuronectes platessa (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable