John Dory

Known as John Dory, St Pierre, or Peter's fish   

Scientific name - Zeus faber

Conservation status

John Dory is a strange looking fish with a compressed olive-yellow body with a large dark spot on the side. It has a large mouth which it uses to suck in prey such as fish and shrimps.

The MCS confirms there is little known about John Dory and the IUCN rate it as Data deficient.

The MCS point out that there is concern for the biomass but ‘there is no targeted fishery for this species and no signs that fishing pressure is of concern’. They also highlight that  otter trawls are likely to be causing damage to the seabed and that bycatch includes vulnerable species.

The Cornwall Good Seafood Guide comments:  ‘Due to their strange shape young John Dory are easily caught in fishing gear and they can't easily escape through mesh or escape gaps’.

Overview

The John Dory grows to a maximum size of 65 cm and a maximum weight of 5 kg. They live for about 12 years.

The John Dory has a flat body - so thin it can hardly be seen from the front. The large eyes at the front of the head provide it with the binocular vision it needs to catch prey. The eye spot on its side confuses prey. There is a legend that says this large black spot is  St. Peter’s thumbprint.

John Dory are coastal fish, found on the coasts of Africa, South East Asia, New Zealand, Australia, the coasts of Japan, and on the coasts of Europe. They live near the seabed, living in depths from 5 to 360 metres. They are normally solitary.

They feed on a variety of fish, cephalopods and crustaceans. They are prey to larger fish, sharks, sea birds and humans.

Sources

IUCN - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/198769/42390771

Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dory

Marine Conservation Society - https://www.mcsuk.org/goodfishguide/ratings/wild-capture/158/

Cornwall Good Seafood Guide - https://www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk/fish-guide/john-dory.php