![]() ![]() It can, however, also be found on both sides of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. Average sizes that were caught, however, can range from two to twenty pounds, depending on the sex and the location where you caught the fish.Īs per its name, the fish can be found pretty much near the coastlines of California-from Monterey Bay to San Diego. Restrictions include catch limits for recreational fishers and seasonal fishing allowances for commercial fishers.Īs one of the biggest members of the wrasse family, the California Sheephead has been known to reach a maximum size of three feet, weighing over thirty-five pounds.Regulations and restrictions were placed by the authorities to help save the species.The fish species were placed under the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species due to overfishing.They are often caught by anglers for their mildly sweet white meat, with some even saying their meat kind of tastes like lobster meat.As predators, they play a critical role in the growth and biodiversity of reefs and kelp forests.They live within a harem where a single often dominant male travels around with a number of females.The bigger more dominant ones will change to male when they reach a certain age.They are protogynous-meaning, all of them are born females.The biggest ever caught on record was a 35-pounder by Venturan angler Brad Johnston just three miles off La Jenelle Beach in Oxnard California.There were reports of California Sheephead reaching three feet in length and over thirty-five pounds in weight in the wild.Those that survive and are lucky enough to reach adulthood, however, have been known to live for a long time in the wild at an average of twenty to thirty years-with some even reaching up to more than fifty years, according to some reports. And because they are left to fend for themselves, most of the young Sheepheads wouldn’t survive. As soon as the eggs get fertilized, they would be carried away by the current and get scattered along the coastal areas until they hatch into larvae. The males would then release their sperms to fertilize the eggs. While the male protects their territory, the females would release their eggs-a female can produce between 130,000 and 375,000 eggs in a day-in a water column. During this time, the males become more aggressive and territorial as they defend their turf against intruders-including other male Sheepheads. At night, it usually hides inside underwater caves and crevasses as well as covers itself with a protective mucus “cocoon” that hides its scent from predators while it sleeps.īetween June and September, the spawning season occurs. It uses its powerful jaws and large protruding teeth to crush the shells of lobsters, crabs, urchins, and molluscs although, it occasionally eats other smaller fishes and squids. It actively hunts during the day and prey on hard-shelled creatures living in the same habitat. The California Sheephead is a carnivorous fish that dwells in reefs and other rocky habitats as well as kelp forests underneath the ocean. ![]() ![]() Another feature to tell males apart from females is the fleshy bumps on their foreheads. Their color is also rather duller compared to males with their orange to pinkish colors. The females, on the other hand, also have white chins and bellies but don’t have the black heads and tails as males do. ![]() The males, aside from being much bigger than females, are more colorful with their dark black heads and hind parts, orange to reddish middle sections, red eyes, and white chin and bellies. It can easily be distinguished by its rather unique color patterns. The California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) is a saltwater fish and one of the largest members of the wrasse family. California Sheephead ( Semicossyphus pulcher ) Fish Description ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |