Meagre facts for kids
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The meagre (scientific name: Argyrosomus regius) is a large and interesting fish. People also call it the croaker, jewfish, or salmon-bass. It's part of the Sciaenidae family, which are often called "drums" or "croakers" because of the sounds they make. This fish has a shiny, pearly-silver body that can look a bit brownish, and its mouth is often yellow. You can find the meagre in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, and also in the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea.
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Discovering the Meagre: Its Scientific Name
The meagre was first officially described in 1801. A Spanish expert named Ignacio Jordán Claudio de Asso y del Rio gave it the name Perca regia. This happened near La Rochelle in France, on the coast of the Bay of Biscay.
The scientific name regius means "royal" in Latin. It's thought that this name might come from the Catalan word reix, which is another name for this fish.
What Does the Meagre Look Like?
The meagre has a fairly large head with small eyes. Its mouth is big and located at the very front of its head. The body is long and slender. You can easily see its lateral line, which is a special sensory line that runs all the way to its tail fin.
It has two dorsal fins on its back. The one closer to the tail is much longer than the first one. The body of the meagre is a pearly-silver color, sometimes with bronze hints on its back. The bases of its fins are reddish-brown, and the inside of its mouth is yellow-gold or salmon pink.
Meagre fish have large scales. About every fourth scale is set at a different angle from the others. This fish can grow very large, up to 2.3 meters (about 7.5 feet) long. It can also weigh as much as 103 kilograms (about 227 pounds)!
Where Do Meagre Fish Live?
You can find Argyrosomus regius in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Their range stretches from Norway all the way down to the DR Congo. They also live in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
Sometimes, meagre fish travel through the Suez Canal and end up in the Red Sea. This is a special kind of migration. They are not very common in the colder northern parts of their range, like near the British Isles or Scandinavia.
Meagre Behaviour and Life Cycle
Meagre fish are demersal fish, meaning they live near the bottom of the sea. However, they can also be found in mid-waters or even near the surface. They are also oceanodromous, which means they migrate long distances in the ocean.
What Do Meagre Eat?
Adult meagre fish hunt and eat other fish, like grey mullet and sardines. They actively chase their prey in open water. Younger meagre fish, called juveniles, start by eating small bottom-dwelling fish and crustaceans. Once they grow to about 30–40 cm (12–16 inches) long, they switch to eating fish that swim in open water and also squid.
Where Do Meagre Live and Migrate?
Meagre often live over sandy areas, close to rocks. They can be found at depths from 1 to 200 meters (about 3 to 650 feet). However, they are most commonly seen between 15 and 100 meters (about 50 to 330 feet) deep.
These fish are always on the move. They migrate along the coast or between offshore and inshore waters. They do this to find the best water temperatures. When the water gets too cold, below 13–15°C (55–59°F), they eat much less.
Meagre Reproduction
Adult meagre gather in coastal waters to lay their eggs during spring and summer. The young fish, called juveniles and subadults, prefer to live in estuaries (where rivers meet the sea) and coastal lagoons. These special habitats are very important for their survival.
The three main places where meagre lay their eggs in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea are the Nile delta, Lévrier Bay, and the Gironde estuary. Many adult meagre gather at these spots between May and July.
A large female meagre, about 1.2 meters (4 feet) long, can produce around 800,000 eggs! They lay their eggs when the water temperature is between 17–22°C (63–72°F).
Growing Up: The Meagre Life Cycle
After hatching, young meagre spend their first few months in estuaries. At the end of summer, they leave these areas and move into coastal waters that are 20 to 40 meters (about 65 to 130 feet) deep. They spend the winter months there.
In the following spring, usually around mid-May, they return to their estuarine feeding grounds. Water temperature is the most important factor that guides their feeding migrations and when they reproduce.
Interestingly, large groups of meagre can be found around sunken ships that were put there on purpose. These wrecks create new homes for many types of fish, including the meagre. Most of their growth happens during the summer months.
Catching Meagre: Fisheries
Argyrosomus regius is a fish that people catch for food and sport. Commercial fishermen use different methods like trawls (large nets), long lines, and hand lines. It's also a popular fish for sport fishing.
In 2002, some very large meagre, over 1.8 meters (6 feet) long and weighing more than 50 kg (110 pounds), were caught in Portugal. They sold for over €200 each!
Most of the world's meagre catch comes from Mauritania, Morocco, and Egypt. These countries catch over 80% of the total, which is about 10,000 tonnes each year. European fisheries are smaller. France catches about 800 tonnes, Portugal 400 tonnes, and Spain 150 tonnes annually.
Farming Meagre: Aquaculture
Farming Argyrosomus regius is still a new and developing area. It involves raising the fish in special land-based tanks or in cages in the sea.
There are a few places where this is done. In southern France, you can find meagre farms in areas like the Camargue, Cannes, and Corsica. There are also farms in Huelva, Spain, and at La Spezia and Laguna di Orbetello in Italy. Turkey also produces a large amount of farmed meagre.
