Common dentex (Dentex dentex) is a species of Sparidae fish. Dentex is common in the Mediterranean Sea, but also seen in the Black Sea and the Eastern Atlantic Ocean from the British Islands to Mauretania, sometimes up to Senegal and Canary Islands. It lives in sandy or stony deeps, to 200 m, and is an active predator, feeding on other fish, mollusca and cephalopods.
It is usually solitary, although younger dentex form schools and are less elusive. Adult dentex can reach a length of one meter, and weigh up to 14 kg.
Youngs dentexes have a slightly different livery, brown-blue with blue fins, than adults, which are grey-blue.