Sheepshead fish, known for their distinctive appearance and palatable flesh, are a fascinating species found in coastal waters. This article delves into various aspects of the sheepshead, including its diet, habitat, physical characteristics, and ecological role.
Identification and Appearance
The sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) is a full-bodied, compressed marine fish characterized by sharp dorsal spines. Its common English language names include sheepshead, convict fish, sheephead, sheepshead seabream, and southern sheeps head. The "convict fish" nickname comes from the 5 to 6 black stripes running horizontal to its greenish-silver body. They will certainly not win any beauty contests! It gets its name from the sheep-like facial features it possesses, namely huge human-like teeth jutting from a gapping jaw.
The sheepshead has an oval-shaped, deep body with a blunt snout and small, nearly horizontal mouth. The posterior nostril is slit-like in appearance. Dorsal and anal fins include stout, short spines, with the second spine of the anal fin enlarged. Pectoral fins are long, extending beyond the anal opening when appressed (pressed close to the body).
Adult sheepshead are silvery to greenish-yellow with an olive back. There are five or six dark vertical crossbars along each side, which are most distinct in young individuals. The caudal and pectoral fins are greenish while the dorsal, anal, and ventral fins are dusky or black.
Other fish that are similar in appearance to the sheepshead include the black drum (Pogonias cromis) and Atlantic spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber). However, the black drum has barbels on the lower jaw and reaches a much larger adult size than the sheepshead. The Atlantic spadefish has a very short snout, a much rounder body shape and a larger soft dorsal and anal fin than the sheepshead. Sheepshead and the closely related seabream (Archosargus rhomboidalis).
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Distribution and Habitat
The distribution of the sheepshead in the western Atlantic Ocean includes coastal waters from Nova Scotia (Canada) through the Gulf of Mexico with the densest populations occurring off southwest Florida. Sheepshead are also found, albeit in much lesser numbers, off the Caribbean coasts of Central and South America, south to Brazil. Although the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn in New York City was named after the fish, it is now rarely found that far north.
Primarily occurring inshore around rock pilings, jetties, mangrove roots, and piers as well as in tidal creeks, the euryhaline sheepshead prefers brackish waters. It seeks out warmer spots near spring outlets and river discharges and sometimes enters freshwater during the winter months. This fish moves to offshore areas in later winter and early spring for spawning, which sometimes occurs over artificial reefs and navigation markers. Juveniles live in seagrass flats and over mud bottoms.
They prefer inshore areas around jetties and piling, or in brackish waters around mangroves and estuaries. The Boathouse says you’ll find sheepshead on “any structure that holds barnacles.” They can be found near manmade structures, reefs, wrecks and other areas where you might find oysters, barnacles, clams or other shellfish. It’s all about the food source.
Diet and Feeding Habits
The sheepshead is an omnivorous fish, feeding on invertebrates, small vertebrates and occasional plant material. Large juveniles and adults prey on blue crab, oysters, clams, crustaceans, and small fish including young Atlantic croakers (Micropogonias undulatus, Sciaenidae). The sheepshead uses its impressive dentition to crush heavily armored and shelled prey and to scrape barnacles from rocks and pilings.
With large, prominent teeth, the California sheephead feeds mostly on sea urchins, crabs, lobsters and other hard-shelled prey.
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Teeth of the sheepshead include well-defined incisors, molars, and grinders. At the front of the jaw are the incisor-like teeth. The molars are arranged in three rows in the upper jaw and two rows in the lower jaw. Heavy, strong teeth are necessary for crushing and grinding the shelled animals that are prey for this fish. Full-grown sheepshead eventually grow three rows of stubby, flat teeth in their upper jaw and two rows lining their lower jaw. Young sheepshead eat marine worms and soft-bodied animals found within seagrasses until their specialized teeth grow in.
When you are feeding on crabs, oysters, shrimp, mussels, barnacles, and anything else in the ocean with a hard shell, you're going to need a good set of chompers, and teeth are usually the first thing you notice when glancing at the sheepshead bream. Though the teeth are vital for crushing tasty shellfish into nutritious meals, the sheepshead has also been known to dine on vegetable matter.
Size and Growth
Although it reaches a maximum size of about 29.5 inches (76 cm) and 22 pounds (9.6 kg), adult sheepshead are most commonly about 1-8 pounds (.5-3.6 kg) and 14-18 inches (35 cm). The sheepshead fish comes in a variety of sizes. They are usually around 10-20 inches in length. However, there are some monster sheepshead fish out there that can grow as large as 20 inches. Keep in mind that it is not common to find them at this length, but it’s possible. The world record for a Sheephead fish is 21 pounds, which comes from Louisiana.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Populations of sheepshead in mid-Atlantic coastal waters and the Mississippi Sound spawn primarily in the early spring although pelagic larvae have been recorded from January through May in the Gulf of Mexico. Adults migrate to offshore waters to spawn, later returning to nearshore waters and estuaries. Spawning frequency ranges from once a day to once every 20 days. Little is known regarding spawning behavior.
Depending upon their condition, females may produce from 1,100 to 250,000 eggs per spawning event. One study determined that those fishes found closer to shore averaged 11,000 eggs per spawning event while those offshore averaged 87,000 eggs per batch. The buoyant eggs are approximately 0.8mm in diameter, hatching 28 hours following fertilization at 23°C. The larvae rely on the attached yolk sac at lengths of 2.0-4.5 mm. When the larvae reach 4mm in length, the caudal and anal fins are well developed.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Pigmentation of the larval sheepshead is brownish with a median ventral line. Black spots are located behind the isthmus, base of the pectoral fin, and anterior to the anal fin. Two dark specks are also located at the base of the anal fin. Juvenile sheepshead (25-30mm) have a forked caudal fin, a lateral line and exhibit adult patterning. They are most abundant in seagrass flats and above mud bottoms, feeding on copepods and algae.
Taxonomy and Classification
The sheepshead is a member of the porgy and seabream family (Sparidae), which is comprised of approximately 120 species distributed worldwide. The sheepshead was originally described by J.J. Walbaum in 1792 as Sparus probatocephalus. Recognizing the uniqueness of the sheepshead in comparison to other porgies, long time Smithsonian scientist Theodore Nicholas Gill erected the monotypic genus Archosargus in 1865. Today there are two valid species of Archosargus, the aforementioned A. probatocephalus (Walbaum 1792) and the sea bream, A.rhomboidalis (Linnaeus 1758). Synonyms of Archosargus probatocephalus include Sparus ovicephalus Bloch & Schneider 1801, Sargus aries Valenciennes 1830, Perca leonina Gronow 1854 and Archosargus oviceps Ginsburg 1952. A division of A. probatocephalus into three subspecies has been proposed: A. p. probatocephalus for the northern form occurring from Canada south to Cedar Key off the Florida gulf coast; A. p. oviceps in the Gulf of Mexico from St Marks, Florida to the Campeche Bank, Mexico; and A. p.
Fishing for Sheepshead
Sheepshead can be found hanging around jetties, pilings, and other obstructions, and many have been caught off piers by hobbyist anglers. They live all along the East Coast of the United States, but most commercial landings occur in North Carolina and Florida. Finding sheepshead is relatively easy, but catching them is another story. They can be a bit tricky due to their convict nature and ability to steal bait, but we’ve got some great tips from a local spot, Bubba’s Cabin. The first thing you will need is a short, light rod. The lighter the better, because they have an incredibly subtle bite. You need to be able to feel the slightest movement so you can set the hook quickly and avoid getting your bait stolen. Speaking of bait, the perfect thing to use is their favorite snack, fiddler crab. If you have a hard time finding live fiddler crabs, as they are difficult to get and keep alive, Bubba’s Cabin recommends using fake crab, a cloth-tied, shucked shellfish like oyster or clam, or rubber-banding frozen sand fleas to your hook.
One trick to finding sheepshead is to look around bridges or other places where you find attached barnacles growing. Sheephead like to feed on the barnacles, so they’re often found around deep water sections of bridges, rocks and more. You’ll typically find shepherd fish within water that is 10 feet or deeper. The best chance of snagging one of these fish is between March and April, which is when they spawn.
If you are trying to catch one of these fish, you’ll want to use the correct size fishing pool, line, and bait.
Sheepshead as Food
This fish is highly valued for human consumption due to its fine white flesh and mild flavor. However, its heavy scales and strong fin spines make it difficult to clean and fillet. It is marketed fresh and frozen and may be prepared by broiling, microwaving, and baking.
Commercially, the majority of sheepshead are accidentally caught in shrimp trawlers and tossed back into the water, although some are taken intentionally. They may also be caught by longlines, seines, and trammel nets. Commercial catches of sheepshead have historically been largest off the gulf coasts of Florida, Texas, and Louisiana.
The flesh of sheepshead is quite delicious. You are what you eat and the sheepshead's diet consists mostly of shellfish, so they tend to have a sweet, shellfish flavor and firm, moist flesh. The white fillets can be easily seared, pan fried, or baked. They cook very similar to dorade or flounder, with a little more bite and much more flavor. Once the armor-like scales have been removed, the skin is exceptionally savory. So why aren't more people eating sheepshead? Most likely it has to do with the fact that breaking down the whole fish proves to be a difficult task. The sheepshead's scales are extremely large and durable and their belly cavity can require more care than usual to maneuver safely around. They also have dangerously sharp gill plates and prickly spines. The good news is that fish markets and restaurants will do all the hard work for you. As October approaches, we will see more and more of the sheepshead available. It's a delicious, underutilized species that I hope will gain some traction in the American seafood conscious, giving other more popular species a break. Sheepshead are good for you, they taste great, and they are totally sustainable, so who cares if they're ugly?
Sheepshead is most commonly served raw, grilled, fried, baked, steamed, broiled or sautéed. It’s a pretty versatile fish. Because of its mild flavor, you can cook it in any way and it will still taste good. Since sheepshead have a mild flavor, pair them with a rich, aromatic white but avoid the oak.
Nutritional Value
Sheepshead fish are an obvious source of protein but also contains a rich array of vitamins and minerals. High in vitamins A, B-9 and B-12, eating sheepshead can help maintain a healthy digestive system, nervous system, hair, skin, nails and eyes. Sheepshead also contains large amounts of potassium, phosphorus and sodium, aiding in blood and bone health.
1 fillet of sheepshead (Fish, raw) contains 257 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 0% carbs, 21% fat, and 79% protein. This is a good source of protein (86% of your Daily Value), potassium (20% of your Daily Value), and magnesium (18% of your Daily Value).
Amount Unit For 1 fillet of sheepshead (238g)Nutrient Value %DVCalories 257Fats 6g 7%Saturated fats 1g 7%Trans fats -Cholesterol 119mg 40%Sodium 169mg 7%Carbs 0g 0%Net carbs 0gFiber 0g 0%Sugar -Protein 48gCalcium 50mg 5%Iron 1mg 14%Potassium 962mg 20%Vitamin D -
Recipes
Algerian Fish Soup Recipe
Directions:
- Cut fish into chunks and set aside.
- In a large dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and celery, and cook stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, broth, clam juice, hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Add the potatoes and bay leaf and simmer gently until the potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of simmering, add the sheepshead and the corn.
- Add the cream, dill and lemon juice, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper or additional red pepper flakes.
Baked Sheepshead Fillets
Directions:
- Sprinkle sheepshead fillets with salt and pepper. Spread 2 tablespoons of lemon-herb butter on each fillet.
- Place fish on a lightly greased pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Seared Sheepshead Fillets
Directions:
- Season the sheepshead fillets with cayenne, paprika, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.
- Sear the fish in the hot pan for about 2 minutes, then flip and sear for another 2 minutes. Add a splash of water and cover. Cook another few minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and moist within.
Conservation Status
Assessments of sheepshead populations based upon the number of recruits and catch yields have indicated that they have been at times over-harvested. Fishery management actions, including catch method restrictions, size limits, and bag limits, are credited with bringing about a decline in fishing mortality and a shift in age-specific vulnerability allowing for the increase in spawning stock in Florida. This fish is not listed as endangered or vulnerable with the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
California Sheephead: A Related Species
While the above information primarily concerns the Atlantic sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus), it's worth noting a related species, the California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher). Key facts about the California sheephead include:
- Juveniles are bright reddish-orange with large blue spots on fins.
- Is incredibly long lived.
- Is a sequential hermaphrodite as an adult, changing from a fully functioning female to fully functioning male after reaching a certain size.
- As established by the Marine Life Management Act, the California Fish and Game Commission regulates the fishery, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife manages this fishery through the California Nearshore Fishery Management Plan (NFMP).
- At the current level of exploitation across its range, it is considered ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
- The upper limit on historical population size in the species’ known habitat is 70,380,000. It is unclear what the population size is currently.
- It is a keystone predator of the purple sea urchin that limits urchin grazing on kelp.
- This fish yields large fillets with skin on or off depending on how the fish is to be prepared. The delicate flesh makes this fish hard to sauté.
Ecological Role
Sheephead fish are important to the ecosystem, especially here in Crystal River. They help maintain an ecological balance in our region, as well as in the oceans. Sheephead also regulates immobile barnacles as well as species that swim near the surface.
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