It occurs in different areas with rocky, pebbly, sandy, muddy up to 200 meters in the Mediterranean Sea and 300 in the Atlantic. It feeds on benthic organisms, crustaceans, mollusks and small fish. Hermaphrodite, protandrous fish, and the third year of age beginning, the fish turns into male and a size of about 17 cm.

It is found from the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean to Norway Guinea, Cape Verde, Madeira, Canary Islands etc.