Description: color
olive-brown or bronze, with dark blotches forming vertical bars; dark
black blotch on middle of dorsal fin base; tip of lower jaw purplish;
bright blue and orange stripes and markings on head and fins; fully scaled
nape; tail tri-lobed in adults.
Similar Fish: bank sea
bass C. ocyurus; other Centropristis.
Where found: OFFSHORE;
differs from other sea basses in that it is often found on sandy or muddy
bottoms.
Size: small species
rarely more than 10 inches.
*Florida Record: n/a
Remarks: spawns January
through March; young adults are predominently female, transforming into
males as they grow older; maximum size about 10 inches.
* The Florida records
quoted are from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's
printed publication, Fishing
Lines and are not necessarily the most current ones. The records are
provided as only as a benchmark.
