Sea bass can reach very large sizes, about 1 m long, but usually does not exceed 60 cm. The body is elongated and has a silvery coloration. It has two dorsal fins, the first with bony radii, and two spines in the operculum

It is distributed along the coastal areas of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. In Catalonia it is a common species, which goes up the lower areas of large rivers and also enters the coastal lagoons. Juveniles eat invertebrates, but adults are mainly fish predators.

The species is still quite abundant, but their populations have suffered some regression in recent decades due to overfishing.