Archosargus probatocephalus

(Walbaum, 1792)

Vernacular names
English : Sheepshead
French : Rondeau mouton

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Eupercaria i. s. (sometimes still Perciformes)
Family : Sparidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach a maximum length of 91 cm for a weight up to 9.6 kg. Large head with slight hump on forehead and very thick lips. Grey coloration with shiny flank scales and 7 slightly diagonal broad dark bars. The species has big teeth.

Range and habitat
This species occurs in the western Atlantic Ocean, from southern Canada to north Gulf of Mexico, south to Brazil. Absent from numerous archipelagos. Lives often near bays and estuaries, sometimes in brackish waters.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species is a very important food fish, targeted by fisheries in many parts of its range. So far, the fisheries’ impact seems managed and minimal.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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