Black sea bass

Black sea bass
Black sea bass
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)

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.

Contents

Life cycle

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 4.3 kg (9.5lb).

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').

Identification features

  • The spiny and soft ray portions of the dorsal fin are continuous, so there is only one long fin instead of two short separate ones as for the wreckfish Polyprion americanus, scup Stenotomus chrysops, rose fish Sebastes marinus, cunner Tautogolabrus adspersus, striped bass Morone saxatilis.
  • Rounded caudal fin and pectoral fins, short but high anal fins.
  • Compared to a tautog or cunner, its mouth is much larger, also the caudal fin, pectoral fin, and soft portion (11 rays) of dorsal fin as long as spiny portion.
  • Compared to a wreckfish, its scales are much larger, the head outline and gill cover are smooth, and the caudal fin is rounded at the edges.
  • It is stout-bodied, three times taller than long (without caudal fin), and has a high back, flat topped head, moderately pointed snout, large oblique mouth, eye set up high (not as high as in the above image due to its slightly oblique perspective), and one sharp flat spine near the caudal end of the operculum.
  • The dorsal fin originates at the anterior of the caudal end of the operculum, the soft portion of the dorsal fin is more tall than long, the caudal fin is rounded and in adults it is an elongated upper ray, the anal fin originates below the soft portion of the dorsal fin, which it resembles in its rounded shape and being more tall than long.
  • The pectoral fin is very long nearly towards the anal fin, rounded (best fieldmark), the pelvic fin is very large, originate posterior of pectoral fin (whereas slightly caudate in scup, rose fish, cunner and striped bass, below in wreckfish).
  • Scales are very large but it is naked at the head with adult males developing fatty bumps in front of the dorsal fin.


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]

Management

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]

International names

References

  1. ^ http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7894.html
  2. ^ [1]

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • black sea bass — Sea bass Sea bass . (Zo[ o]l.) (a) A large marine food fish ({Serranus atrarius} syn. {Centropristis atrarius}) which abounds on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It is dark bluish, with black bands, and more or less varied with small… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • black sea bass — juodasis akmeninis ešerys statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Centropristes striata angl. black bass; black sea bass; blackfish; common sea bass rus. чёрный каменный окунь ryšiai: platesnis terminas –… …   Žuvų pavadinimų žodynas

  • black sea bass — ūdrinis gruperis statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Epinephelus tauvina angl. black sea bass; estuary cod; giant grouper; greasy grouper; greasy reef cod; rock cod rus. групер таувина; таувина ryšiai:… …   Žuvų pavadinimų žodynas

  • black sea bass — noun bluish black striped sea bass of the Atlantic coast of the United States • Syn: ↑black bass, ↑Centropistes striata • Hypernyms: ↑sea bass • Member Holonyms: ↑Centropristis, ↑genus Centropristis * * * …   Useful english dictionary

  • black sea bass — /bas/ a bluish, black striped sea bass, Centropristes striata, abundant off the coast of eastern North America: a valuable food fish. [1835 45, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • California black sea bass — didysis jūrinis ešerys statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Stereolepis gigas angl. black Pacific jewfish; California black sea bass; giant sea bass; Pacific black sea bass rus. гигантский морской окунь… …   Žuvų pavadinimų žodynas

  • Pacific black sea bass — didysis jūrinis ešerys statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Stereolepis gigas angl. black Pacific jewfish; California black sea bass; giant sea bass; Pacific black sea bass rus. гигантский морской окунь… …   Žuvų pavadinimų žodynas

  • Cal|i|for|nia black sea bass — «KAL uh FRN yuh, FR nee uh», a jewfish …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sea bass — (Zo[ o]l.) (a) A large marine food fish ({Serranus atrarius} syn. {Centropristis atrarius}) which abounds on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It is dark bluish, with black bands, and more or less varied with small white spots and blotche …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sea bass — refers to many fish species of various families, including:* Black sea bass ( Centropristis striata , in the family Serranidae), whose range is the eastern coast of the United States * White sea bass ( Cynoscion nobilis , in the family… …   Wikipedia

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