Sharpsnout Seabream

Diplodus puntazzo has an oval shaped, compressed body with a slightly protrusible mouth which has moderately fleshy lips. There are 8 brown coloured incisor-like teeth in the front of both the upper and lower jaw with 3 or 4 rows of smaller molar-like teeth, although these tend to be lost in adults. The dorsal fin is supported by 11 spines and between 12 and 15 soft rays, while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 11 to 13 soft rays. The caudal fin is forked. The overall colour is silvery grey with 6 or 7 vertical bars along the upper body, these alternate between dark and light coloured bars. These bars may disappear when the fish dies. There is a dark bar on the caudal peduncle, this almost rings the peduncle, darkest in young fish. The outer margin of the caudal fin is black, the remaining finds are greyish, darkening towards their margins. There is a dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin. The sharpsnout seabream has a maximum published total length of 60 cm (24 in), although 30 cm (12 in) is more typical, with a maximum published weight of 1.7 kg (3.7 lb).

Diplodus puntazzo is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean with its northern most limit in the southern Bay of Biscay off northern Spain, although it is very uncommon in this area, south to Sierra Leone. In Macaronesia it is found only in the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. It also occurs throughout the Mediterranean and southern Black Sea. Claims of the sharpsnout seabream in South Africa are misidentifications. In the Bay of Biscay this species is increasingly being recorded farther north. The sharpsnout seabream is a benthopelagic fish found in marine and brackish waters at depths down to 150 m (490 ft), although it is typically found in water of less than 60 m (200 ft) in depth. It is found over rock or sand substrates in coastal waters. Younger fish may live in brackish water, tidal pools and lagoons while the adults may occur in the surf zone.

Diplodus puntazzo has the specific name puntazzo which Cetti reported was the common name for this species in Sardinia.