Common dentex

Photo: Sylvie Omnès · CC BY-NC

Common dentex are among the most impressive reef fish in the Mediterranean — males can exceed 1 m and carry a steep forehead, deep body, and canine teeth visible even when the mouth is closed. They are ambush predators of octopus, cuttlefish, and smaller fish, often hunting in loose packs across rocky terrain. Heavy fishing pressure has made large adults uncommon outside protected areas; Cassidaigne's isolation keeps specimens here unusually big and bold.