Author: Russell, Golani & Tikochinski, 2015
Comments: The species is found mainly on sandy or muddy substrates to about 100 m, but observed to be more common inshore close to islands or coasts in depths of 20-30 m. Mainly piscivorous.  Spawning season prolonged and occurs nearly all the year round, in the Gulf of Suez with two peaks in December and May (El-Halfawy et al. 2007).  In the Mediterranean, spawning season off the coast of Israel lasts from March to December (Golani 1993), whereas at Iskenderun Bay, Turkey, spawning occurs mainly in two seasons (May-July and September-November) (İşmen 2003). Reported to be important in the trawl fishery of the Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, where it is in a state of high overfishing and severe overexploitation. In the Mediterranean, it was rather uncommon until 1955, when it started to appear in large quantities in bottom trawl catches (according to Ben-Yami & Glaser 1974, Ref. 1289; Bilecenoğlu 2010, Ref. 94612); catches have since remained high, with some fluctuations (Golani 1993, Ref. 38081).  Also reported to be an economically important fish in the Mersin and Iskenderun Gulfs, Turkey and is among the most common species caught in the trawl fishery, comprising almost one-third of the commercial trawl catch in the north-eastern Levant (Ref. 101631).