Species Type:
Fishes
Common Name(s):
Sheepshead
Size:
On average, sheepshead are 1-8 pounds (.5-3.6 kg) and 14-18 inches (35 cm) long.
Diet:
These fish eat blue crab, clams, oysters, barnacles and plankton.
Range & Habitat:
They live near mangroves, tidal creeks, oyster bars, rocky areas and seagrass beds in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic Ocean.
Details:
Sheepshead are mid-sized, flat, oval-shaped fish with black and silver stripes that help them blend into rocks or docks. Their most distinctive feature is their human-like teeth, including incisors and molars, used to crush crabs, barnacles, and oysters. With a keen sense of smell, they can sniff out hidden crustaceans buried in sand or stuck to structures.
Related Resources
Photo by Susie Carlo / Mote Marine Laboratory