European bass is a very imposing predatory sea fish, crowned by many as the ruler of coastal waters. It has a strong body and a large mouth with a protruding lower jaw, enabling it to go after prey larger than itself; however, it mostly feeds on smaller fish, crustaceans and small invertebrates. Its jaws are full of sandpaper-like tiny teeth that successfully prevent the prey from escaping, while the big eyes attest that this fish mainly catches its prey in the evenings and at night.
It is a very widespread fish; it lives throughout the Mediterranean as well as in the Atlantic Ocean, and great numbers of European bass are of course also present in the Adriatic Sea. It does not require particular conditions to thrive and can do so in both clear and murky water with differing degrees of salinity –the schools often take refuge in river estuaries, where sea water gives way to fresh water. European bass form larger schools twice a year, during the mating season at the end of December, and at the end of spring, when the sea begins to warm up and exceeds the temperature of 17° C. It favors conditions at depths ranging from two to ten meters, but can also be found at depths up to a hundred meters. Depending on the area, fishermen have also given brancin, as Dicentrachus is called in Croatian, the names lubin, dut, levrek, smudut, vuk, and recently, the pet name branko.
The body of the European bass is elongated and covered in tiny scales; the fish is characterized by a double dorsal fin. It is dark-grey on the back and silvery white on the abdomen. It has a dark spot with two spikes on the end of each gill cover. In nature, it can grow up to a meter in length and weigh over ten kilograms. In the Adriatic Sea, the majority of European bass are caught in Istria. It can be fished year-round, with the largest catches recorded in the autumn. It is commercially fished by using nets, however many sport fishermen enjoy fishing for European bass with hooks, longlines, trolling lines, harpoons and underwater rifles.
As European bass does not require specific conditions to thrive, it is extensively farmed and sold weighing at 0.25 to 0.3 kg, which it reaches in two years. This white fish is classified as being of the highest quality, as it has tender and excellent tasting flesh. Many simply enjoy it grilled, while others bake it in a salt crust or fry it. The most popular preparation method among discerning diners is poaching it in vegetable stock or preparing in “na lešo”, as this dish is known in Dalmatia.
