Diplodus

a genus of fishes of the family Sparidae of the order Perciformes. Body length, up to 30 cm. There are ten species, distributed primarily in the subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean and in the western part of the Indian Ocean. The species Diplodus annularis is found in the Mediterranean and Black seas and in the eastern Atlantic. It is a littoral fish, living in heavy growths of algae; in the winter it migrates to lower depths. The fish feeds on algae (primarily diatoms) and benthic invertebrates. Some species are hermaphrodites (individuals function first as males and then as females, or conversely). Spawning occurs from June to September. The eggs are pelagic. Because they are few in number, the Diplodus have no commercial value. Sometimes the genus’s Russian common name, morskie karasi, is applied to all members of the family Sparidae.