Name:
Sheepshead
Alias:
Scientific:
Archosargus Probatocephalus
| Sheepshead | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Sparidae |
| Genus: | Archosargus |
| Species: | A. probatocephalus |
| Binomial name | |
| Archosargus probatocephalus Walbaum, 1792 |
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The sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus, is a marine fish that grows to 30 in (760 mm), but commonly reaches 10 to 20 in. It is deep and compressed in body shape, with 5 to 6 dark bars on the side of the body over a gray background. It has sharp dorsal spines. Its diet consists of oysters, clams, and other bivalves, and barnacles, fiddler crabs, and other crustaceans.Template:Texas Parks and Wildlife Website, Sheephead Entry It has a hard mouth, with several rows of stubby teeth, which help crush prey.[citation needed]
Although the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, in New York City, was named after the fish,[citation needed] it is almost entirely a southern species: its range extends from the Mid-Atlantic to Texas.Template:Texas Parks and Wildlife Website, Sheephead Entry As sheepshead feed on bivalves & crustaceans,[citation needed] successful baits include shrimp, sand fleas (molecrabs), clams, fiddler crabs, and mussels.[citation needed] Sheepshead have a knack for stealing bait, so a small hook is necessary.[citation needed] Locating sheepshead in a boat is not difficult: fishermen look for rocky bottoms or places with obstructions, and they try around jetties and the pilings of bridges & piers.[citation needed] The average weight of a sheepshead is 3 to 4 pounds, but some individuals reach the range of 10 to 15 pounds.[1] They are edible.
