Boops boops

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Boops boops, commonly called the bogue or bogue bream, is a small to medium seabream found in the eastern Atlantic. It lives from Norway to Angola, including the Mediterranean and Black Seas, around the Azores and Canary Islands, and it avoids very brackish water like the Baltic Sea.

Habitat and behavior
The bogue stays near the sea floor and in mid-water, usually around 100 meters deep but sometimes deeper. It forms schools that rise to the surface at night and feeds on seaweed, crustaceans, and some plankton.

Size and name
Boops boops can grow up to 36 cm long, though most are about 20 cm. The name boops means “ox-eyed” in Greek, referring to its large eyes.

Reproduction
The way bogues develop sexually is not fully understood. Some fish may start life as females and later become males, while other descriptions exist.

Conservation and human use
The bogue is listed as Least Concern by conservation groups and is fished commercially. When cleaned and cooked fresh, it tastes good, but its flavor can deteriorate if stored.

Diet and culinary use
It eats seaweed, crustaceans, and some plankton. Much of the catch is used for fishmeal or as bait.

Parasitism and pollution
The bogue hosts many parasites and has been used to study microplastic pollution in the Mediterranean. After the 2002 Prestige oil spill, the parasite community on bogues caught off Spain changed.