Latin name

Boops boops

Other names

Bogue (English), Vopa (Albanian), Gopa (Bulgarian), Bokvis (Dutch), Γόπα (Gópa) (Greek), Goboos (Hebrew), Boga (Spanish), Boga (Italian), Gelbstriemenbrasse (German), Bops (Polish), Boga (Portuguese), Bukva (Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian), Kupes (Turkish), Bogue (French).

Identification

Has an elongated body, compressed at the sides, covered with small scales. Dorsal spines: 13-15; Dorsal soft rays: 12-16; Anal spines: 3; anal soft rays: 14-16.   

Features of fish fins

Elongated dorsal fin with 13 to 15 barb rays and 12 to 17 soft rays. The short anal fin has 3 hard rays and 14 to 16 soft rays.

Fish colouring

The back is grey-blue or greenish, the sides are silvery. There are 3 to 5 gold bars below the dark lateral line. There is a black spot at the base of the pectoral fins. All fins are pale.

Distribution

Eastern Atlantic: from Norway to Angola, including the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. Widespread from the Bay of Biscay to Gibraltar. Also found in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

Habitat

Bottom dwelling and semi-pelagic. Lives at depths of 100 m (330 ft) and rarely to 350 m (1,150 ft), over sandy, rocky bottoms.

Size

Reaches a maximum length of 36 cm, with an average length of 20 cm. Maximum published weight: 455.00g.

Behavior

A gregarious fish, it rises to the surface mainly at night.

Food and feeding habits

It feeds mainly on pelagic crustaceans and other planktonic organisms.

Reproduction

First matures at the age of 1 year with a body length of about 12 cm. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, meaning that females mature first and then become males.

Fishing

It is a commercial fishery.

Relationship with a person

At least 67 species of multicellular parasites have been recorded from this species.

Used as an indicator of microplastic pollution in the Mediterranean.