Most knowledge about Pagrus pagrus was related to sampling in the wild, so farming conditions needed to be explored. The present experiment took place at the Institute of Marine Biology of Crete (IMBC, Iraklion, Greece). Fish were caught from the wild as about 6 months old juveniles, and then reared for 6 years in the IMBC facilities. Pagrus pagrus is a protogynous hermaphrodite. Gonadal development proceeds through three different ways: 'primary males' type, fish functionning as females and 'secondary males' type. Fishes mature for the first time at the age of 3 years (11.2 per cent females and 77 per cent males) but more than 50 per cent were mature at 4 years old. They have an annual reproductive cycle. Gametogenesis starts during the autumn and spawning occurs during spring (15-19 degrees C). The evolution of 17b-estradiol, oestrone and vitellogenin in females plasma and of testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone in male plasma has been followed.