The St. Peter's fish owes it’s name to its main characteristic, a clearly visible spot behind the gills. According to legend, over 2000 years ago, St. Peter dropped a coin into the Sea of Galilee and the fish caught it. St Peter picked the fish up and took the coin back, leaving his fingerprints on the skin of the fish. In the Mediterranean it is also called John Dory or St Pierre.
In Germany it sometimes goes under the name of ‘Heringskönig’ (king herring) since it slowly and majestically follows the herring shoals, in pursuit of its main food source. St. Peter's fish can grow to a maximum length of 70 cm and sometimes reach a weight of 8 kg.
It has no scales on its coarse, silver to golden-brown skin. It rarely uses his fins, but would much rather place itself on its side and drift, especially when hunting young flatfish.
