The common Pandora is a member of the family Sparidae with a slim, oval, laterally compressed body that can reach 60 cm in length. The colouration ranges from pinkish-red on the back to silvery on the underside and flanks, which often have pale blue spots on the upper part. It has a single dorsal fin and pointed pectoral fins. It has a pointed head, with strongly inclined forehead and well-developed jaws. The upper edge of the operculum is dark red. It is a common fish on both sides of the Italian peninsula, as well as the eastern Atlantic. It is a reasonably gregarious, demersal fish and its preference is for muddy, sandy or spongy bottoms, where it preys on benthic invertebrates and small fish. The common pandora is a hermaphroditic species, starting life as a female and later becoming male (with few exceptions). It reproduces in the spring and summer, when it lays its pelagic eggs. It is highly esteemed as a food fish locally and is caught by a variety of techniques: longline fishing, trawling, gillnets and traps. The Upper Adriatic is one of the richest fishing zones for this species.