CREATURE FEATURE #22
SHEEPSHEAD (Archosargus probatocephalus)
If you were to spend the day here at Mound House, fishing
our rocky, historic shoreline with shrimp or crabs for bait, there’s a very
good chance that you would wind up with several of these tasty fish on your
stringer. Winter is the time when sheepshead congregate in our cold inshore
waters feeding on oysters ,crabs and other crustaceans around the rocks and
pilings of the back bay.
The prisoner stripes are a dead giveaway, and the
sheepshead’s unique, stubby teeth, made for crushing shells give this fish its
name. While they may grow to over 15 pounds, most sheepshead found in our waters
are between 2 and 5 pounds.
