Brown meagre

The brown meagre or corb (Sciaena umbra) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers.

[2] The brown meagre is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the southern English Channel south to Senegal and Cape Verde, including the Canary Islands,[8] records from West Africa south of Senegal are questionable.

[8] The brown meagre is found at depths between 5 and 200 m (16 and 656 ft),[10] mainly over rocky and sandy substrates and the young enter estuarine environments.

It has a flat belly and its strongly arched back which give it an easily recognisable shape, the body is laterally compressed and the large, horizontal mouth reaches the level of the eye and contains villiform teeth.

[10][8] It is a rather nocturnal fish but it can occasionally be found during the day among beds of sea grass and on rocky bottoms in the vicinity of caves or large crevices where it can shelter.

[8] The brown meagre is a commercial species throughout the Mediterranean basin and has been over exploited by fishing practices.

Corbs ( Sciaena umbra ) from Ligurian sea
Sciaena umbra juvenile