Fagri Fish

2025 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-23 10:18

The sea offers us as a gift an incredible variety of delicious and healthy food. The largest share of it falls on fish. Among them is one that carries the color of passion and a taste that seduces. It is phage fish. It is one of the most impressive in appearance and taste fish, which lives in crystal clear sea water in ideal conditions and is a high quality fish with a soft, sweet taste and high nutritional value because it contains omega-3 fatty acids.

Who has already tried the unforgettable taste of phage, can learn more about her. And information about this sea beauty can make others enjoy the taste of this sea creature.

Classification and etymology of phage fish

The Latin name of the fish is Pargus pargus and belongs to the family Sparidae. They call this family sea bream. They are compressed fish with a deep body, a small mouth, a single dorsal fin with strong spines and a short anal fin. They are a type of thorns, also called sea caracudi. They have pointed dorsal fins and large, firmly attached scales.

These are carnivorous fish living in temperate and tropical waters that live and feed near the bottom. Hermaphrodites are also found in the Sparidae family. Such is the phage fish.

It was first described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in his Sistema Naturae in 1758 in the tenth edition. Linnaeus named the fish Sparus pargus, moved to the genus Pargus. There are a few more colloquial names. In the Persian Gulf it is called a white snapper, in Great Britain it is called Red porgy, the Greek name is fagri. It is also called the royal fish and has been known since ancient times.

What does phage fish look like?

Red phage is a fish with relatively large size and elongated body shape. The standard length for the species is 75 centimeters, although half-smaller specimens are more common. The commercial size is between 30 and 50 centimeters.

The fish's eyes are set high on the head. The dorsal fin of phagris has 11 to 13 spines and 9 to 10 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 thorns and 7-8 soft rays.

This fish is silvery-pink in color, with darker blue spots on the nape and behind the pectoral fins. The caudal fin is dark pink with paler tips, and the other fins are pale pink.

Most fish have molar-like teeth like most predators.

Distribution and habitats of phage fish

Red phage is found in warm coastal waters on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. From the east, the range extends from southern Britain to western Sahara, including the waters around the Canary Islands and the island of Madeira and the Mediterranean. The range of phage includes the Sea of Marmara, but does not extend to the Black Sea.

The western side of the Atlantic Ocean can be found from the east coast of the United States to Argentina to the south. It is present in the Gulf of Mexico and the western part of the Caribbean Sea, but it is not present in the eastern part.

It can reach a depth of 250 meters, but is more common between 10 and 80 meters on continental cliffs. This is a demersal species of fish that can be found both in rocky areas and in those with soft sediment. Young specimens often inhabit seagrass beds or enter lagoons sometimes.

Ecological characteristics of phage fish

This species of demersal fish feeds either near or on the seabed with crustaceans, mollusks and small fish. They are hermaphrodites, with the young first born female and at some point some change their sex to male. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 2-3 years.

Gender reassignment occurs in a wide range of sizes - from 206 to 417 millimeters and a wide range of age - from 2 to 9 years.

Not all fish change their sex. Some are primary males whose ovarian tissue atrophies before they reach adulthood. Others are secondary males - they behave like females for several cycles before changing their sex. Others remain female as adults, possessing only elementary male tissue.

There is evidence that gender reassignment is dictated by social or environmental factors, as they do not have a genetic cable, as the language of science says.

Status of the phage fish population

The red phage is an important species for both commercial and recreational fishing. This is especially true of the east coast of the United States, Argentina and the Mediterranean. It is usually fished and the population has declined sharply due to over-exploitation, but in some areas minimum size limits have been set in an attempt to limit catches and strengthen populations.

Another way to conserve stocks is to use aquaculture, especially in the Mediterranean.

Despite the declining stocks of this fish in some areas of the species' distribution and the complex biological needs it has, it can be said that it is generally not at risk of extinction. Therefore, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as the least worrying, and trade and catches of fish are strongly present in the economy of some of the regions where it is present.

Fagri fish in cooking

Photo: Vesela SH

This fish is extremely popular in the cuisine of many nations because its flesh is delicate and tender as a structure dense and tasty and with a light pink color. It lacks the intrusive smell of fish and, like other predatory fish, has almost no bones.

The valuable fish phagri is considered one of the best grilled fish delicacies.

Both species are consumed - wild fish caught in the sea and farmed in fish farms. Wild ones are at the beginning of the price range, while those raised on specialized farms are more expensive.

How to prepare and serve phage fish?

The fish has scales and therefore they are cleaned and the skin is preserved. Fagri is prepared with herbs, grilled and served garnished with a dressing of lemon and olive oil.

You can also stew it and make fish soup with it.

Suitable garnish to fish phage are vegetables. No matter what the method of preparation, it is important to preserve the taste of the fish.

In the Republic of Korea, it is also served baked with mayonnaise salad. It is so popular that it is considered one of the tastes representing the country.

In Bulgaria it is known as Greek fish and is prepared and served in the variants that are popular in Greece - mostly grilled with citrus and vegetables. The choice is usually with a canapé of vegetables, with sea salt and lemon, in salted rind. The latter option is usually served with a sauce of flour, herbs, citrus and egg white.

All cooking options are not only delicious but also very useful, because phage fish is a healthy offer.

Suitable spices for phage are thyme, parsley, garlic, wild and fresh onions, black pepper, rosemary, mint, dill and of course olive oil.

Suitable drinks when serving phage

Delicate wines go with delicate fish meat - be it white or red. The choice depends on how the fish is prepared. It can also be served with chilled beer. Typical Greek mastic and ouzo are also suitable for fish.

And if you are looking for delicious ideas on how to cook phage, take a look at these sea bream recipes. If you want a more dietary dish, take a look at our recipes for baked fish.