Archosargus probatocephalus, the sheepshead, is a marine fish that grows to 76 cm (30 in), but commonly reaches 30 to 50 cm (10 to 20 in). It is deep and compressed in body shape, with five or six 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.[1] It has a hard mouth, with several rows of stubby teeth – the frontal ones closely resembling human teeth – which help crush the shells of prey.[2]

This article is missing information about the fish caught in North Carolina. (June 2022)

Archosargus probatocephalus
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Sparidae
Genus:	Archosargus
Species:	A. probatocephalus
Binomial name
Archosargus probatocephalus Walbaum, 1792

Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn is named after this fish.[3]

Range

The sheepshead is found in coastal waters along the western Atlantic, from Nova Scotia to Brazil, but the greatest concentration is around southwest Florida.[4] Although the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, in New York City, was named after the fish,[5] it is now rarely found that far north. However they just recently started to return to the area in small numbers, with a few being caught in the Jamaica Bay and on the Rockaway Reef.

Fishing

As sheepshead feed on bivalves and crustaceans,[1] successful baits include shrimp, sand fleas (mole crabs), clams, fiddler crabs, and mussels.[6] Sheepshead have a knack for stealing bait, so a small hook is necessary.[6] Locating sheepshead with a boat is not difficult: fishermen look for rocky bottoms or places with obstructions, jetties, and the pilings of bridges and piers.[6] The average weight of a sheepshead is 1.4 to 1.8 kg (3 to 4 lb), but some individuals reach the range of 4.5 to 6.8 kg (10 to 15 lb).[6]

Parasites

As with other fish, the sheepshead has a variety of parasites. One of them is the monogenean Microcotyle archosargi, which is parasitic on its gills.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Archosargus probatocephalus.

• "Sheepshead" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 822.
• Archosargus probatocephalus Smithsonian Marine Station
• Sheedshead Information Florida Shore Fishing Page
• Photos of Archosargus probatocephalus on Sealife Collection

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[es] Archosargus probatocephalus