Saddled Bream Oblada melanura

The Saddled Bream or Saddled Seabream, also called the Oblade, is native to the eastern Atlantic from France to Angola and including the Mediterranean and Cape Verde Islands.

It is the only species in its genus and is generally a longer oval shape than the Diplodus genus of seabreams, some of which look similar. In particular, the Annular Seabream, Diplodus annularis, also of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, also is silver with a black spot or ring before the tail, as is the One-spot Bream, Diplodus kotschyi, of the western Indian Ocean. However, these do not have the white border round the black that the Oblade has. (If you wondered from where the Beatles got "Obladi, Oblada" . . . wonder no more).

Some other Diplodus species (I always want to write "Diplodocus") also have a black spot before the tail, eg the Sharp-snouted, but they have a distinctive pattern, such as vertical stripes.

The Saddled Bream, above with Grey Mullet, is gregarious, forming groups with its own kind and other bream or fish. It grows to some 20-30cm.