Dentex, a genus of acanthopterous fishes near perches. One species (D. vulgaris), the Dentex of the ancient Romans, abounds in the Mediterranean, and has occasionally been taken on the southern shores of Britain. It is an excessively voracious fish, with large sharp teeth, and attains a large size, sometimes three feet in length, and 20 to 30 pounds weight. Great numbers are taken in the mouths of rivers in Dalmatia and the Levant, where they are cut in pieces, and packed in barrels with vinegar and spices, just as the ancients used to treat them.