Glossary
Every term used across the encyclopedia, in plain language.
The IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature keeps a worldwide list showing how close each species is to disappearing. Every fish page carries its category as a coloured badge.
The category describes risk, not rarity. A fish can be common in your bay and still be threatened worldwide.
LC
Least Concern
Not at risk. Its populations are large and steady.
NT
Near Threatened
Not at risk yet, but close to it. If the pressure keeps up it moves into the next category.
VU
Vulnerable
At risk of disappearing if nothing changes. The first of the three categories that count as threatened.
EN
Endangered
High risk of disappearing. Its numbers have fallen sharply.
CR
Critically Endangered
Extremely high risk. The last step before a species is lost from the wild.
DD
Data Deficient
There is not enough information to judge. It does not mean the species is safe.
NE
Not Evaluated
It has not been assessed yet.
Where a species is doing worse in the Mediterranean than it is worldwide, the fish page says so in its own words. The badge always shows the global category.
Where a fish lives
Pelagic
Lives in the open water, away from the bottom.
Benthic
Lives on or inside the seabed.
Coastal
Stays close to the shore, usually in shallow water.
Endemic
Found only in one particular region and nowhere else.
Invasive / Lessepsian
A species that arrived from elsewhere, most often through the Suez Canal.
How a fish reproduces
Hermaphrodite
Changes sex during its life.
Protogynous
Born female, becomes male later on.
Protandrous
Born male, becomes female later on.
Gonochoristic
Has separate sexes. Each fish stays male or female for life, the opposite of a hermaphrodite.
Oviparous
Lays eggs.
Viviparous
Gives birth to live young.
Larva
The first stage after the egg, before it looks like the adult.
Fry
The very young fish, shortly after hatching.
Parts of the body
Dorsal fin
The fin on the back.
Pectoral fins
The pair on the sides, just behind the gills.
Pelvic fins
The pair underneath, towards the front.
Anal fin
The fin underneath, near the tail.
Gills
The organ a fish breathes with.
Swim bladder
An internal air sac that lets a fish hold its depth without swimming.
Lateral line
A line of sensors along the flank that picks up vibrations in the water.
Scutes
Hard bony plates along the lateral line, as on the Horse Mackerel.
Food and fishing
Plankton
Tiny organisms that drift with the currents and feed a great many fish.
Planktivore
A fish that feeds on plankton.
Predator
A fish that hunts other animals.
Overfishing
Catching a species faster than it can replace itself.
Bycatch
Animals caught by accident while fishing for something else.
Stock
The part of a population that fishing draws from.