Name:
Black Sea Bass
Alias:
Scientific:
Centropristis Striata
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| Black sea bass | |
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| black sea bass | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Serranidae |
| Genus: | Centropristis |
| Species: | C. striata |
| Binomial name | |
| Centropristis striata (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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The black sea bass (Centropristis striata) is an exclusively marine fish. It is a type of Grouper (Serranidae) found more commonly in northern than in southern ranges.
It inhabits the coasts from Maine to NE Florida and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. There are three large biomass populations of black sea bass: one off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, one in the area of the Chesapeake Bay, and one off New York. They can be found in inshore waters (bays and sounds) and offshore in waters up to a depth of 130 m (425'). They spend most of their time close to the sea floor and are often congregated around bottom formations such as rocks, man-made reefs, wrecks, jetties, piers, and bridge pilings.
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The sea bass spawns when it is mature, at 190 mm (7.5"), in middle of May to end of June. The eggs, 0.95 mm (.03") in diameter, are buoyant and their development time is 1.6 days at 23 °C (74 °f). The maximum size of a sea bass is 500 mm (19.7"), weighing 1 p
It appears off New Jersey in the first weeks of May, withdrawing in late October or early November, and wintering offshore at 55 to 130 m (180'-426')at temperatures above 8 °C (46 °f). In summer it is most abundant at less than 37 m (120').
It often rests stationary or cruises slowly around structures. It occasionally rests on the bottom or other structures, staying either head-down or head-up. It enters the smallest corners and caves with a body angle above ground often about 40° down. The dorsal fin is normally folded close to the body, and it is only spread out as an aggressive posture reaction to other sea bass. If you want to keep a seabass the minimum length is 13" in New York state.[1]
Black sea bass are highly sought after by recreational and commercial fisherman, and thus can be overfished. Quotas have been set to help limit the overfishing of black sea bass. The mid-Atlantic population is considered "rebuilt," while the south Atlantic population is overfished.[2]
