Meagre

The Meagre is a large member of the family Sciaenidae found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. It belongs to the genus Argyrosomus, a group of large silvery drums found in temperate and subtropical waters worldwide. Meagre range from the British Isles and Bay of Biscay south along the West African coast, and throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The species is among the largest members of the drum family, with some individuals exceeding 1.8 meters in length. Meagre populations are considered data-deficient in parts of their range, though the species remains a well-known large predatory fish of European and North African coastal waters.

Meagre are large, elongated fish with a streamlined but robust body.

• Color: silvery-bronze body with a bluish-grey back, often with a golden sheen
• Mouth: large, oblique mouth with a pointed snout
• Fins: long dorsal fin with a spiny and soft section; dark fin margins in some individuals
• Body shape: elongated, moderately compressed, tapering toward the tail
• Size: commonly 50-100 cm, with large adults exceeding 1.5-2 meters

Its large size, golden-silver sheen, and pointed snout distinguish Meagre from smaller sciaenids found in the same range.

Meagre are found in the eastern Atlantic from the British Isles and southern North Sea south to Senegal, as well as throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea. They inhabit coastal waters, estuaries, and river mouths, tolerating brackish conditions, particularly as juveniles. Adults range more widely into open coastal and continental shelf waters, sometimes at depths exceeding 100 meters, while remaining primarily a nearshore species. The species favors sandy and muddy substrates and is often associated with river deltas and lagoon systems that provide productive nursery habitat.

Meagre are active, powerful swimmers and opportunistic predators, feeding on fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans. Younger individuals often use estuaries and lagoons as nursery habitat, gradually moving to more open coastal waters as they mature and grow larger. Like other sciaenids, Meagre produce a drumming sound using muscles associated with the swim bladder, most notably during the spawning season. Spawning occurs in coastal and estuarine waters in spring and early summer, with adults sometimes forming aggregations at this time. As a large predatory fish, Meagre occupy an upper trophic position within coastal Atlantic and Mediterranean ecosystems.