Skip to content
Piscatorium
Sign in

Sea fish

Dusky spinefoot

Siganus luridus

Get to know the species, pick your region, find your spot.

Other names: Kara sokar

Open fishing grounds on the map Bait and tackle
Dusky spinefoot
(c) Joss Carr, some rights reserved (CC BY) · source
Family
Siganidae

Choose your region

The information changes with the region you choose.

Where is Dusky spinefoot caught?

Explore the regions or go straight to the map.

Central & South Aegean fishing spots

172
Central & South Aegean
Map preview

Explore the coast on the map

Open map

A listed spot is not a guarantee of a catch.

Central & South Aegean

Season and suitable conditions

Check the season information for the region you chose.

Peak months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov

Season information is no guarantee of a catch.

Best spots in October

By month

Average monthly score of the spots in Turkey (0–100).

  1. 51 Jan
  2. 49 Feb
  3. 50 Mar
  4. 51 Apr
  5. 67 May
  6. 72 Jun
  7. 74 Jul
  8. 86 Aug
  9. 85 Sep
  10. 83 Oct
  11. 68 Nov
  12. 53 Dec

The best spot in each Turkish province, by this month’s score.

  1. Sülüklü Plaji Demre, Antalya 92/100 Very good
  2. Mersin Limanı Yolcu Salonu Akdeniz, Mersin 92/100 Very good
  3. Sarsala Dalaman, Muğla 91/100 Very good
  4. Kavaklı Burun Kuşadası, Aydın 87/100 Very good
  5. Ilıca Deresi Balçova, İzmir 86/100 Very good

A 0–100 score from season, water temperature, habitat and local records; a general trend, not a guarantee.

Best times of day

When in the day it bites best, month by month.

  • Active by day
  • Poor at night

In October

  1. Dawn Best 85

    0.5 h before sunrise → 3 h after

  2. Midday 70

    1 h before midday → 2 h after

  3. Dusk 75

    2.5 h before sunset → sunset

Not productive at night

Moon phase

Effect of the moon on night fishing; the scores compare the phases.

  1. New moon 5
  2. First quarter 5
  3. Full moon 5
  4. Last quarter 5

Best phase: No clear effect

Windows across 12 months

Best times of day J F M A M J J A S O N D
Dawn 45 45 70 70 70 85 85 85 85 85 85 45
Midday 80 80 75 75 75 60 60 60 70 70 70 80
Dusk 55 55 70 70 70 80 80 80 75 75 75 55
Night

Windows follow sunrise and sunset; clock times change with place and date. Scores are relative within the month: 100 is the best window of the day.

3 sources · confidence medium

Habitat

Where it lives and in what kind of water: ranges compiled by the research.

Depth

2–40 m

mostly 2–15 m

Water temperature

14–32.8 °C

ideal 27 °C

Salinity

Full-strength seawater

28.2–39.9 ‰

Shore types

  • Cove / inner bay
  • Rocky shore
  • Breakwater / jetty
  • Pier / quay
  • Around marinas
  • Headland
  • Mixed shore
  • Shingle shore
  • Inside harbours
  • Harbour mouth
  • Reclaimed shore
  • Shoal / reef

Bottom

Lives close to the bottom

  • Rock
  • Sand, gravel and rock
  • Seaweed

Ranges from FishBase, AquaMaps and the literature; a general tendency, not a hard limit.

Confidence: shore type medium, temperature medium

Bait and tackle suggestions

Recorded baits and fishing techniques.

Bait by month

Baits documented for shore fishing, month by month and by water clarity.

In October

Natural baits

Processed bait (all year)

  • Dough
  • Bread

By water clarity

Herbivore / detritivore — Eats weed, algae and bottom mud. Rarely takes a lure.

Clear Visibility: over 8 m
Natural bait First natural bait: Sea lettuce · Very suitable Usually in this water: Weed, sea lettuce, worm; very fine tackle; chum.
Slightly coloured Visibility: 4–8 m
Natural bait First natural bait: Sea lettuce · Very suitable Usually in this water: Weed, worm; chum.
Moderately coloured Visibility: 2–4 m
Natural bait First natural bait: Shrimp · Very suitable Usually in this water: Worm with chum; stream or channel mouths.
Murky Visibility: 1–2 m
Natural bait First natural bait: Shrimp · Suitable Usually in this water: Worm, fish guts; chum; mullet feed in murky stream mouths.
Very murky Visibility: under 1 m
Natural bait First natural bait: Shrimp · Weak Usually in this water: Worm, fish guts; chum.
12-month bait calendar
January
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce
February
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce
March
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce
April
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce
May
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce
June
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce
July
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce
August
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce
September
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce
October
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce
November
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce
December
Natural baits: Seaweed, Shrimp, Sea lettuce

This is the usual pattern; the water and weather on the day can change it. Colour is fine-tuning: bait type, size and action come first. Confidence: natural high, lures low. Colour and presentation guide

Fishing rules

The regulation holds no separate minimum size or closed season entry for this species. The provisions for Türkiye as a whole apply.

Before you go, check local area and method restrictions.

Species profile

Dusky spinefoot
Scientific name
Siganus luridus
Family
Siganidae
Order
Acanthuriformes
Water type
Saltwater
Seas
Aegean Sea, Mediterranean
Other names
Esmer sokar, Kara sokar

Frequently asked questions

Which seas is Dusky spinefoot found in?

In our records Dusky spinefoot appears in these seas: Aegean Sea, Mediterranean, Central & South Aegean — Greece, Crete & Libyan Sea — Greece, Güzelyurt Bay — Northern Cyprus, Kyrenia north coast — Northern Cyprus, Famagusta–İskele — Northern Cyprus, Karpas Peninsula — Northern Cyprus, Akamas–Paphos west coast — Southern Cyprus, Paphos–Limassol south coast — Southern Cyprus, Larnaca southeast coast — Southern Cyprus, Ayia Napa–Protaras — Southern Cyprus, Ligurian Sea — Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea — Italy, Adriatic — Italy, Ionian Sea — Italy, Strait of Sicily — Italy, Sardinian Sea — Italy, Atlantic Ocean — Spain, Mediterranean — Spain, Cantabrian Sea — Spain, Balearic Sea — Spain, Alboran Sea — Spain, Gulf of Cádiz — Spain, Strait of Gibraltar — Spain.

In which months is Dusky spinefoot at its peak?

Peak periods by sea: Sardinian Sea — Italy June–October; Central & South Aegean — Greece March–November; Crete & Libyan Sea — Greece March–November; Famagusta–İskele — Northern Cyprus June–September; Güzelyurt Bay — Northern Cyprus June–September; Kyrenia north coast — Northern Cyprus June–September; Karpas Peninsula — Northern Cyprus June–September; Paphos–Limassol south coast — Southern Cyprus June–September; Ayia Napa–Protaras — Southern Cyprus June–September; Akamas–Paphos west coast — Southern Cyprus June–September; Larnaca southeast coast — Southern Cyprus June–September; Ligurian Sea — Italy June–October; Tyrrhenian Sea — Italy June–October; Strait of Sicily — Italy June–October; Adriatic — Italy June–October; Ionian Sea — Italy June–October; Mediterranean — Spain June–October; Alboran Sea — Spain June–October; Strait of Gibraltar — Spain June–October; Cantabrian Sea — Spain May–September; Atlantic Ocean — Spain May–September; Balearic Sea — Spain June–October; Gulf of Cádiz — Spain June–October.

Similar species

Pick your spot, check the conditions, then head out.

Open fishing grounds on the map
Open fishing grounds on the map · 475 fishing grounds

Pisca AI

Members only

Ask about this species

Dusky spinefoot · Siganus luridus

Works with Piscatorium data: spot scores, seasonal species and tackle recipes. Type your question and the chat opens in the side panel.

What can you ask?

Weigh the answers together with their sources.

Ask Pisca AI

Pro membership

PRO MEMBERSHIP