Saltwater
Bluespotted Seabream
Pagrus caeruleostictus
Hebrew name: פרידה
- Peak season
- Spring and Autumn (April-June, September-November)
- Length range
- 25–90 cm
- Weight range
- 0.5–5 kg
- Typical depth
- 10–150 m
Minimum size: 15 cm1
Closed to fishing: May 1–June 30, 2026, Mediterranean spawning season2
Measured from the tip of the mouth to the tip of the tail, fish lying flat. Release anything shorter at once.
- 1 Per Fisheries Regulations, 1937, First Addendum, January 7, 2025
- 2 Per Israel Nature and Parks Authority: fishing restrictions in the Mediterranean spawning and recruitment seasons, April 28, 2026
Habitat
Sandy and rocky bottoms in coastal waters of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, typically at 10-150 m depth. Adults prefer offshore reefs and shipwrecks; juveniles inhabit shallow coastal areas.
Behavior
Predatory seabream that feeds on small fish, crustaceans, and molluscs. Younger fish school in coastal waters; older specimens become solitary and move to deeper offshore structure. Most active at dawn and dusk.
Best techniques
- Bottom fishing with squid or sardine
- Slow-pitch jigging over rocky bottom
- Live shrimp on a long leader
- Drift fishing with cut bait
