Author: Valenciennes, 1843
Umbrina canariensis Valenciennes, 1843
Status in World Register of Marine Species:
Accepted name: Umbrina canariensis Valenciennes, 1843 (updated 2009-06-25)
Diagnosis: body rather short, deep and compressed; mouth small, inferior, teeth villiform; chin with a short, rigid barbel, perforated by a pore at its tip. Dl X; D2 I + 27-31, A II + 7-8. Caudal fin truncate to slightly S-shaped. Scales mostly ctenoid, except on snout and suborbital region, where they are cycloid. Swimbladder simple, carrot-shaped, without appendages. Colour: greyish-silver to darkish; longitudinal dark lines on back and upper sides, often extending onto head; distal portion of sort dorsal, pelvic, anal and caudal fins dark grey to black; membranes on hind margin of gill covers dark brown. Size: to 63 cm SL, common to 40 cm.
Habitat: shelf and upper slope waters from 50 to 300 m depth, over mud and sand bottoms; juveniles near shore. Food: small shrimps, worms and other bottom invertebrates. Reproduction: probably from late spring to early autumn.
Distribution: Atlantic coast from Bay of Biscay southward to Angola. Western Mediterranean from Gibraltar to at least Sicily and Algeria.
Eggs, larvae and young stages. No data.
Otoliths (sagitta). Dieuzeide, 1929: fig. 7-8 | Sanz EcheverrÃa, 1931: 373, pl. II (fig. 17) (as U. cirrhosa but U. 'lafonti' teste Chaine, 1938) | Chaine, 1938: 59, pl. V-VI (U. Iafonti).