368 Common Sea Bass 



Common Sea Bass 

 Centropristes striatus (Linnaeus) 



Color: Brown, dark gray, or blue-black. Young under 3 

 inches with a dark brown or black stripe from eye to base 

 of tail fin and frequently with hazy dark vertical bands on 

 sides. 



Distribution: Occurs from Florida to Cape Cod and as a 

 straggler to Maine. 



Size: Reaches a length of over 2 feet and a weight of more 

 than 8 pounds. 



General Information: The Common Sea Bass is found 

 mostly in salt water in depths ranging from a few feet 

 down to 420 feet. In summer it is common inshore on 

 rocky bottoms and near wrecks and wharves. Spawning 

 takes place in spring. The eggs are buoyant. The adult 

 males have a fatty hump on their backs in front of the 

 dorsal fin. Older females regularly change sex and become 

 fertile males. The Common Sea Bass is a bottom feeder 

 and its main foods are crustaceans and shellfish, squid, and 

 small fishes. 



Economic Importance: A valuable food fish caught in 

 large numbers by the commercial fisheries in the Middle 

 Atlantic region. It is frequently taken in its smaller sizes 

 by anglers fishing in bays and other inshore waters. Larger 

 fish are an important part of the catch of the "deep-sea," 

 recreational boat fisheries. 



