Red Sea Bream (Pagrus major) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Red Sea Bream is a pink, blue-spotted coastal fish of the western Pacific. Red Sea Bream does not occur naturally in U.S. coastal waters. In Japan, Red Sea Bream is known as madai.

Appearance

Appearance: Its body is pink to reddish, with small blue spots on the upper sides and a dark edge on the tail fin. Young fish can have bars that fade as they grow.

Look-alikes

Red PorgyPagrus pagrus

Both are pink porgies. Red Sea Bream has many bright blue spots across its body; Red Porgy usually lacks such conspicuous blue spotting.

Why they get mixed upBoth are pink fish that may be called porgies.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Coastal reefs
Nearby sandy or muddy bottom
Range: It occurs around Japan, Korea, and nearby parts of the western Pacific. It is not native to U.S. coastal waters.

Behavior

Diet: Around Japan, adults eat shellfish, crabs, shrimp, and small fish.

Name and classification

About the name: Some older sources grouped the Australasian snapper with Red Sea Bream. They are now treated as separate species.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

11 sources