habitat_narrative
Marine
Pagellus natalensis occurs over shallow sandy substrates, especially in inshore bays down to 100 m (Buxton et al. 1984, Smale and Badenhost 1991). Off KwaZulu-Natal, adults of this species have been recorded in large catches over soft substrata up to 250 m depth (S. Fennessy, Oceanographic Research Institute unpublished data). Juveniles are abundant in shallow water over sandy bottoms at depths less than 20 m (Buxton et al. 1984, Fennessy and Mann 2000). Adults feed on reef and sand associated benthic invertebrates including small crustaceans, echinoderms, polychaetes, fish and molluscs (Buxton et al. 1984). The maximum recorded length for this species is 35 cm TL (Fennessy and Mann 2012).Reproduction
Pagellus natalensis appears to be a gonochorist (S. Fennessy, Oceanographic Research Institute unpublished data) and spawns from winter to spring, peaking between August and September (Connell 2012). Spawning takes place off KwaZulu-Natal in shelf waters (Connell 2012); but Beckley (1993) also recorded larvae in deep water (600–2,000 m) which suggests that spawning could also occur on the shelf edge (Fennessy and Mann 2012).
