Porgy / Seabream Family
[family Sparidae]
Porgies and Seabreams are deep bodied fish that subsist mainly by crushing shellfish and crustacians. On the east coasts of North and South America the "Common Seabream", is the Red Porgy (Pagrus pagrus), but this fish is now considered endangered and should not be caught or eaten. Pagrus pagrus is also found on the coasts of southern Europe and North Africa, but the "Common Seabream" in Europe is the Red Seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo). Here in California the familiar Porgies and Seabreams are all from Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Pacific Porgy (Calamus brachysomus) not being common in the markets.
More on Varieties of Fish (large page).
Sheepshead Seabream. -
[Archosargus probatocephalus]
Found along the West Atlantic from Nova Scotia around along the
northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico this fish can get to almost 36 inches
and 21 pounds but the photo specimen was 12-1/2 inches and weighed 1-1/2
pounds. It's an ocean fish but it freely enters brackish water and
sometimes even fresh water. It is considered an excellent eating fish
and is not threatened.
Prep & Cooking Details.
Squirefish - [Pink Snapper,
New Zealand Snapper, Australian Snapper, Pagrus auratus]
This fish is often sold in the U.S. as "Snapper" from New Zealand. It is
found off the coasts of New Zealand, Australia and Pacific Islands east
of Australia. A distinctly separate population is found from the
Philippines and Indonesia to China, Taiwan, and Japan. Farming this fish
is in the experimental stages so all market fish are currently wild.
They can grow to 51 inches and 44 pounds, but the photo specimen was
14 inches long and weighed 1 pound 6 ounces. Squirefish is not
considered threatened.
Details and Cooking.
Yellowfin Seabream -
[Acanthopagrus latus]
This Indo-West Pacific fish is found from the Persian Gulf to the
Philippines and from the north coast of Australia to Japan. It can grow to
19 inches and 3 pounds but the photo specimen was 10-1/2 inches and
weighed 12 ounces. It is both caught wild and farmed.
Prep & Cooking Details.