also feeds on smaller invertebrates, such as crustaceans and worms. The eggs and larvae are planktonic. Off the Libyan coast C. crenidens has developed a distinct breeding season from November to February and the fish move away from the coast to spawn elsewhere in March and April. The males attain sexual maturity at 14 cm length and some females reach maturity at around 13 cm to 13.9 cm but for 50% of females maturity occurs at around 15.4 cm length. Fecundity is dependent on the weight of the female and varies from 678 eggs in smaller females to 9,888 eggs. Taxonomy There were two generally recognised subspecies: C. c. crenidens (Forsskål, 1775) which occurs in the Red Sea and southwards along the eastern African coast; C. c. indicus Day 1873 which extends from the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf and Nicobar Islands. The two taxa occur sympatrically in the Red Sea. Recent work has supported the raising of C.c. indicus to species level once more and that a third species which is currently regarded as a junior synonym of C.c. indicus, Crenidens macracanthus, known from only two specimens from the Arabian Sea, is a separate valid species. Uses Crenidens crenidens is caught all year round in the northern Indian Ocean using trammel nets and beach seines and is consumed fresh, however, in the southern part of that Ocean it is fished mainly for bait. References Sparidae Fish described in 1775 Taxa named by Peter Forsskål