Among the sparidae, common dentex is one of the species with greater possibilities for aquaculture in the Mediterranean area. Its commercial success, ease of reproduction in captivity and high growth rates corroborate this fact. Reproduction appears to pose serious problems, spontaneous spawns being obtained with relative ease, although restricted to a certain season in the year. As regards larval culture and prefattening, difficulties such as high mortality rates appear, probably due to pathological and nutritional problems, cannibalism, inadequate environmental conditions, etc., and, in summary, a lack of appropriate technique for breeding larvae and young fish. For successful farming, it is essential to obtain quality larvae and high survival rates. So, it is necessary to determine the nutritional requirements of this species and to establish the culture parameters in the different stages of the process. This article reviews current knowledge of techniques for dentex culture.