THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

Shallow water down to perhaps thirty
fathoms in the vicinity of rocks are its
normal haunts, though at times it may
also feed over sand. Either way, it is
not an uncommon fish and can be
caught using exactly the same baits
and tactics as for red bream, adding
even more to the potential for
confusion.
The key point in distinguishing
between the pair is the dark blotch on
the shoulder just above the gill cover
which red bream have and pandora
lack. The facial profile also lacks the steep vertical angle and rather blunt appearance of the similar
looking couch's bream.
Colouration is red on the back and upper flanks, changing to a pinker red, then silvery below. Small
blue spots may also be present on the upper flanks. A protogynous hermaphrodite in which mature
females become males as and when required.
Another fish I have caught on a number of occasions while on holiday over the years, the first one of
which was brought back to the UK from Majorca as part of a mixed species consignment of artwork
specimens for Dr. Dietrich Burkel who was illustrating the Angling Encyclopaedia back in the 1970's.
WHITE BREAM Diplodus sargus
Bucket List status – result outside of home waters
Also known as the sargo, as with the pandora,
axillary, and saddled breams, one of an ever growing
number of sub tropical species more inclined towards
a life spent south of the Bay of Biscay, which now
occasionally creeps up beyond its normal range,
presumably encouraged by rising sea temperatures,
ending up usually around the Channel Islands or
along adjacent parts of the south coast.
This is a deep whitish or silvery greyish fish with
quite a sizeable dark blotch on the top of the tail stalk,
and five narrow dark stripes running down from the
upper back onto the flank separated by lighter
coloured stripes which may or may not be visible. A
protandrous hermaphrodite in which some males can
switch to being females as required.
White Bream, Gibraltar
Much of its natural feeding is directed towards hard
shelled creatures such as small crabs and molluscs
which are dealt with readily by its powerful teeth,
echoing my own experience of the species which we
caught off Gibraltar using shellfish still in their
shells as bait.
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