. (from Goode 1884) Common Name: sheepshead Scientific Name: Archosargus probatocephalus Other Common Names: Sheepshead bream, sheep- shead porgie, convict fish (Jennings 1985); rondeau mouton (French), sargo chopa (Spanish) (Fischer 1978). Classification (Robins et al. 1991) Phylum: Chordata Class: Osteichthyes Order: Perciformes Family: Sparidae There are three subspecies of sheepshead along the western Atlantic seaboard. A. p. probatocephalus is the more northern race ranging from Nova Scotia to Cedar Key, Florida. A. p. oviceps limited to the Gulf of Mexico ranging from St. Marks, Florida
. (from Goode 1884) Common Name: sheepshead Scientific Name: Archosargus probatocephalus Other Common Names: Sheepshead bream, sheep- shead porgie, convict fish (Jennings 1985); rondeau mouton (French), sargo chopa (Spanish) (Fischer 1978). Classification (Robins et al. 1991) Phylum: Chordata Class: Osteichthyes Order: Perciformes Family: Sparidae There are three subspecies of sheepshead along the western Atlantic seaboard. A. p. probatocephalus is the more northern race ranging from Nova Scotia to Cedar Key, Florida. A. p. oviceps limited to the Gulf of Mexico ranging from St. Marks, Florida to Campeche Bank, Mexico. A. p. aries is the southern form ranging from Belize to Brazil (Jennings 1985). Value Commercial: Traditionally, the sheepshead has had some commercial value for food, but its acceptance as a food fish varies among coastal localities (Jennings 1985, Beckman et al. 1991). Commercial interest in this species has, however, increased markedly since 1981 as regulation of fisheries for other more popular food fish has increased (Render and Wilson 1992, GSMFC1992). It is taken commercially by seines and incidentally by offshore shrimp trawlers, but is some- times caught intentionally during the spawning season when it is most abundant (Benson 1982, Jennings 1985). It has a low retail value, and most incidental trawl catches are probably discarded. Recreational: The sheepshead supports a moderate sport fishery in most months (Benson 1982, Beckman et al. 1991). It is a common fish in inshore waters, often caught on fiddler crab or barnacle bait (Hoese and Moore 1977). Fishery information for the Gulf of Mexico showed a total catch of 4,054,000 sheepshead in 1992 (NMFS 1993). It is frequently discarded because the dorsal spines make cleaning difficult. Indicator of Environmental Stress: The sheepshead is not typically used in studies of environmental stress. Ecological: Sheepshead juveniles and adults are com- mon demersal predators. Predation by this species ma
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