Order Perciformes Family Sparidae(porgies) Sheepshead seabream Archosargus probatocephalus(Walbaum, 1792). 90cm(TL).
Distribution; Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia, Canada and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil. Absent in Bermuda, the Bahamas, the West Indies and Grenada General; Also known as simply “Sheepshead”. A marine fish that grows to 76 cm, but commonly reaches 30 to 50 cm. Inhabits bays and estuaries. Freely enters brackish waters; sometimes enters freshwaters. Commonly found around pilings. Caught by anglers from jetties or rocky shores. It is deep and compressed in body shape, with five or six dark bars on the side of the body over a gray background. It has sharp dorsal spines. Its diet consists of oysters, clams, and other bivalves, and barnacles, fiddler crabs, and other crustaceans. It has a hard mouth, with several rows of stubby teeth – the frontal ones roughly resembling human teeth – which help crush the shells of prey. An excellent food fish. Marketed fresh and frozen; eaten broiled, microwaved and baked
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