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FISH GUIDE · Sea

East Atlantic peacock wrasse: identification, habitat and fishing guide

Symphodus tinca

A robust Mediterranean wrasse with variable colours.

Catalogue names : East Atlantic peacock wrasse. Forms and names may vary between habitats.

Editorial review : · This species guide is not permission to fish. Read the precautions below and check the current rules for your location before targeting a species. Some species or populations are protected.

Geographical distribution

Documented presence includes: Mediterranean Sea ; Atlantic near Gibraltar, from the Basque Country to Mauritania.

  • Documented presence : Mediterranean Sea
  • Documented presence : Atlantic near Gibraltar, from the Basque Country to Mauritania

Documented areas, not an exhaustive list. Presence in a region does not imply presence in every water body or permission to fish.

Distribution sources

Identification

Thick lips, a dark pectoral mark and bands varying with sex and condition.

Symphodus tinca is stockier than Thalassoma pavo, the ornate wrasse. Their similar French names do not denote two forms of the same species. Colours change: compare shape, mouth and visible markings.

Habitat

Algae-rich rocky bottoms and Posidonia beds.

Diet

Small invertebrates: worms, crustaceans, sea urchins and bivalves.

Behaviour

The male builds a nest using algae.

CNR describes mainly daytime activity for this group.

Indicative biological size

25 cm common standard length according to FishBase, excluding the caudal fin; neither a maximum nor a legal size.

Fishing context and precautions

The CNR-IRBIM manual includes this species among wrasses caught incidentally on natural bait, on the bottom or suspended, with Bolognese float or bottom tackle from rocks and quays. Collective advice, without a species-specific rig or implied French permission.

At Palma in 2007, Alós and colleagues caught 8 Symphodus tinca on marine worms using three snoods and a terminal weight over Posidonia. This trial establishes rod-and-line capture without providing universal settings or a species-specific survival estimate.

CNR explicitly illustrates Symphodus tinca being unhooked: keep the fish wet and reduce air exposure. Prepare for this before capture. This advice provides no species-specific survival rate; the sector’s rules still need checking.

A distinctive feature

Its colours can become paler under stress.

Sources and review

Each reference includes its access date. Overall editorial review: . Local conditions and regulations may change.

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