The incisors are 8-10 in both jaws, they are lined with small granular teeth; the molars are arranged in two rows. The coloration is variable but the flanks always have golden yellow longitudinal bands in the very which disappear then. The neck and the caudal peduncle bear a very pronounced blackish brown band; the peduncular band is at the base of the soft parts of the dorsal and anal fins. It is a littoral species of rocky and sandy bottoms, known in the Mediterranean and Atlantic,from the Bay of Biscay to Senegal, also exists in Madeira and the Canary Islands. It can reach 25 to 30 cm long (500g).