The gilt-head bream is a bony member of the family Sparidae and can be found in the sea and in brackish coastal waters. The name comes from the characteristic golden yellow stripe between its eyes. Its oval, depressed body has only one dorsal fin. It feeds mainly on molluscs and crustaceans, which it is able to crush thanks to its powerful jaws and strong teeth. It can reach a maximum length of 70 cm, but is most commonly found between 20 cm and 50 cm, and a maximum weight of around 10 kg. The gilt-head bream is present throughout the Mediterranean and other seas, where it always lives in a narrow strip of coastal waters; it is normally solitary but sometimes forms small groups. It tolerates variations in salinity well and can frequently be found in lagoons and estuaries; on the other hand it is extremely sensitive to low temperatures. Gilt-head breams are hermaphrodite: most specimens experience sexual inversion from male to female at two years of age (30-40 cm in length). Reproduction occurs between October and December. It is highly sought after by commercial fishing vessels as well as by anglers. It has also become increasingly valuable as an aquaculture species, being farmed in cages, ponds and fishing reserves (“valle”). Captured fish are considered to be of superior quality on account of their lower fat content. Minimum size is 20 cm.