Pagellus erythrinus was studied off the western coast of Greece during 1983-85, to obtain information on its life history and identify existing or potential threats to its survival. Marginal increment analysis revealed that annuli were formed once each year between June and September. The relationship between scale length (R) and fish length (FL) was linear. P. erythrinus showed a relatively rapid growth between I-II age groups, followed by little or no growth later. The maximum life span was 10 and 13 years for respectively males and females. Males tended to be slightly heavier at an equal length than female. Little seasonal fluctuation in condition factor was noted for each sex. P. erythrinus were fully recruited by the local trawl fishery at age 3. A Beverton and Holt yield-per-recruit model (M = 0.22) suggests a maximum yield-per-recruit of 1956 g.