Dentex dentex is a sparid commonly found on the Mediterranean coast. Due to its higher growth rate in captivity compared to the existing cultured Mediterranean species it is considered a great potential for the diversification of the European aquaculture industry. Nevertheless, there are several biological aspects, such as high mortality levels due to sensitivity to handling and aggressive behaviour in early life stages, that need urgent attention. This may be related to the rearing protocols and techniques for the cultivation of this species. Normally, the same protocols are used as in Sparus aurata and Dicentrarchus labrax. Thus, the limited information about this species on wild and farming conditions are serious bottlenecks to optimising fish welfare in rearing conditions, in particular related to stress susceptibility and aggressive behaviour.
