St Peter's fish (zeus faber)
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Common name St Peter's fish
Scientific name Zeus faber
Class Actinopterygii
Order Zeiformes
Family Zeidae
Distribution The Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Atlantic Ocean form Norway to South Africa.
Habitat sandy or muddy substrates up to or close to meadows of Posidonia oceanica , from depths of 20/30 metres to approx. 400 m.
Dimensions Can grow to a length of 60 cm.
Characteristicts Not available

Description
Dories have tall and laterally compressed bodies. The St Peter's fish is the only type of dory to be found in the Mediterranean. This particular dory has an oblique profile from the tip of its nose to the beginning of the 9 - 11 strong dorsal fin rays. It has a large oblique mouth and bucklers on the second dorsal and anal fin bases. The St Peter's fish is a golden grey/brown colour with dappled markings and a has a dark blotch ringed with white on of each side of its body. The name refers to the "thumbprint" on the side of the fish supposedly left by St Peter when he caught the fish. In its mouth was a gold coin to pay the temple tax collectors (Matthew xvii, 24-27)

Biology
Loners and not very agile in the water, they take advantage of their flattened bodies and slowly move their fins to get closer to other fish which they then capture with their fast moving large protractive mouth. Reproduction usually takes place in the spring and summer.