Veirade presentation
The veirade or veïrade is also known as the black-headed sar, and its Latin name is Diplodus vulgaris. As its name suggests, the black-headed sar has two distinctive black stripes, one at the back of the head and one at the base of the caudal peduncle.
A member of the Sparidae family, the veirade's silvery body is striped with small yellow stripes. Its head is pointed and its small mouth has molars for breaking up sea urchins. The average size of black-headed sars is between 20 and 30 cm, but it is also possible to encounter fish approaching 40 cm.
On rocky bottoms
Veirades are rather gregarious fish (living in shoals) and are mainly found on rocky bottoms. Veirades can be found from the first few meters to depths of over 50 meters. This is a species that can also be found in the vicinity of dykes and harbors.
Feeding and reproduction
The veirade feeds on worms, mollusks and crustaceans. It also likes sea urchins, which it crushes with its powerful jaws.
The veirade reproduces in late autumn and early winter. It is a protandrous hermaphrodite fish, meaning that it is first male before becoming female.
On board or by boat
The veirade is a fish that can be fished from shore with bait. Worms, shrimps or shellfish baited on a fine line can be used to catch black-headed sars. When the sea is rough, the pelota fishing gives very good results on less wary fish.
By boat or kayak, you can target veirades by stone-fishing, for example. Stone-fishing is an ancient fishing technique that involves lowering a mussel to the bottom with a stone, a technique that is effective on all sparids. It's also not uncommon to hook black-headed sars during games of tenya fishing or to support.
The minimum catch size for black-headed sar in the Mediterranean is 18 cm. As a reminder, it is also compulsory to cut off a piece of the lower part of the caudal fin if you keep the fish.
