The Painted Comber, which is also commonly referred to as the Scribbled Comber or the Lettered Comber, is one of the most common, beautiful, and curious bottom-dwelling fish of the Mediterranean. It belongs to the Serranidae family, which makes it a close relative of the grouper, and it is famous for its vivid colours. The body is robust and compressed laterally, with a beige-brown colour.

It is one of the most common fish on rocky bottoms and in Posidonia seagrass meadows. It lives in shallow coastal waters, usually at depths from one to 30 metres, although it can reach up to 150 metres. It is an extremely territorial fish and is often seen standing still over a rock or hole, observing its surroundings. It does not frighten easily and often approaches divers out of curiosity.

Fisheries & Economic Value

It is caught very easily by any coastal method, such as handlines, cast lines, and set nets, because it bites at all baits. The meat is white and tasty, but it has many small bones and is somewhat dry. For this reason, it is considered ideal and used almost exclusively for traditional fish soup as it provides excellent flavour and thickens the broth.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the Painted Comber as a species of Least Concern. Scientific studies have shown that it plays an important role in controlling the populations of small benthic organisms. Furthermore, research on its behaviour showed that it is one of the boldest fish as it often steals prey from other larger fish or octopuses.