Sea bass and sea bream are more common in the southern shores and in the Aegean coasts of our country. Generally dispersed in tropical, semi-tropical and temperate zones, sea bream lives in sandy-muddy and muddy environments. It is also very common in the river mouths and lagoons. It feeds especially on crustaceans and molluscs.
The back of sea bass is gray or greenish black, its sides are silvery and its belly is white. There are 1 or 2 stickles on its opercula and black spots at the top. Its mouth is wide, the teeth located on the palate and tongue. Its body is long and thin. Its length which can reach 1 m is 50 cm on average and its weight can reach 12 kg.
Sea breams take different local names according to their weights in Turkey. Those with a weight of 30-50 grams are called thin lidaki, those with a weight of 100 grams are called lidaki, those with a weight of 100-180 grams are called coarse lidaki and those with
200 grams and over are called sea bream. It has an oval body, a large head, a blunt nose and prominent lips. There is a V-shaped strap between the eyes. Its back is gray and dark blue in colour. The average length of a sea bream which can reach 70 cm at maximum is 25-40 cm.
Sea bream and sea bass grow best at temperatures between 22-24 °C; they can live in lethal temperature ranges, but the temperature range they can survive is 3-34 0C. Salinity value is between 05-040%. Appropriate dissolved oxygen level in aquaculture is approximately 7-8 mg / l. Although they live in shallow waters (0.5 to 9 m) in summer, they migrate to the deeper (35-40 m) waters in winter.