Ctenolabrus Valenciennes, 1839
Diagnosis: body oblong. Head and mouth small. Snout shorter than post-orbital. Head length equal to or more than body depth. Teeth minute, close-set, in several rows, with larger and prominent front canines. First row of teeth (7-15/11-16). Snout with 7-9 pores. Preoperculum margin serrated, its lower edge often smooth. Upper lip with 5-7 folds. Dorsal finrays XVI-XIX + 7-10; anal finrays III + 6-9. Head scaly, except inter-orbital surface and snout; 1-2 small scales on base of dorsal and anal fins. Scales along lateral line 35-39; rows of scales above lateral line 3.5, behind eye 3 4, on inter- operculum 2-3 (9-18 scales). Gill arch with 14-18 short, thin rakers. Vertebrae 31-35. Colour: brown, greenish or orange-red. A black patch on beginning of the dorsal fin, another one on upper part of caudal peduncle, close to caudal fin. Size: to 18 cm SL, usually 10 12 cm.
Habitat: on rocky, weed-covered shores (1-50 m), larger specimens deeper than young. Behaviour: spawning area (0.50-2 m2) guarded by male. Pelagic eggs. Food: Mediterranean: bryozoans, crustaceans and gastropods. Reproduction: English Channel and North Sea in AprilAugust; Norway in July- August; Mediterranean in January-July. Maturity occurs when 2 years old. No sexual dimorphism. Age and grouth: to 7-8 years. Rate of growth faster in Atlantic Ocean than in Mediterranean.
Distribution: from Norway to Morocco, Mediterranean and Black Sea.
Species 1.
Species of this genus in the program:
Ctenolabrus rupestris