The Congo dentex (Dentex congoensis) is a species of marine fish in the family Sparidae, notable for its robust body, sharp teeth, and silvery-pink coloration. It inhabits the eastern Atlantic coastal waters of West and Central Africa, particularly from Senegal to Angola, including the Gulf of Guinea. The Congo dentex is valued both as a food fish and for artisanal and small-scale commercial fisheries. The top countries harvesting Congo dentex include Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Cameroon, where it is caught using trawls, handlines, and gillnets. In these countries, the dentex supports local economies and food security, with most of the catch consumed domestically, though some may enter regional trade. The fishing industry targeting this species remains primarily small-scale, but it plays a significant role in coastal communities along the Central African Atlantic coast.
| Rank | Country | Metric Tons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghana | 1,901 |
Data from FAO. 2025. Global Capture Production. In: Fisheries and Aquaculture.