Sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus

Sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus. Fish caught out from coastal waters off Marathon, Florida, July 2018. Length: 18 cm (7.1 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Eli (obsessiveangling.wordpress.com).

Sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus. Fish caught out of the Indian River Lagoon, Micco, Florida, November 2020. Length: 20 cm (7.9 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, San Diego, California.

Sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus. Fish purchased at Soriana’s Mercado, San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, November 2019. Length: 30 cm (12 inches).  Identification courtesy of H.J. Walker, Jr., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California. Fish in very poor condition but afforded three excellent photographs presented above – an excellent profile, anal fin, and human teeth photos.

Sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus. Fish caught out of Lake Ponchartrain, New Orleans, Louisiana, February 2017. Length: 61 cm (2 feet 0 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of David Haselbauer, Scandia, Minnesota.

The Sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus, is a memberof the Porgy or Sparidae Family, that is also known as the Convict Fish (due to their appearance and notorious bait stealing capabilities) and in Mexico as sargo chopa. Globally, there are three species in the genus Archosargus, of which two are found in Mexican waters, both in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Sheepshead has a an atypical appearance for a Porgy. They have deep compressed oval bodies that have a depth that is 50% to 54% of standard length. They have a silvery to greenish-yellow coloration with 5 to 7 dark vertical bars along their sides that tend to fade as the fish matures. Their anal, dorsal, and pelvic fins are dusky or dark. Their caudal and pectoral fins are transparent with a green tinge. Their head has a blunt snout and a small horizontal mouth. Their teeth have drawn significant scientific attention as they are “human-like” with well-defined incisors, molars, and grinders (used for crushing shelled prey) that vary significantly from fish to fish. Their anal fin has 3 spines (the second being stout) and 10 or 11 rays; their caudal fin is slightly forked; their dorsal fin has 12 spines and 10 to 12 rays; and, their pectoral fins are long and extend past the anal fin origin.

The Sheepshead is found in coastal habitats around rock pilings, jetties, mangroves, reefs, and piers that include bays, estuaries, and even fresh water environments at depths up to 91 m (300 feet). They reach a maximum of 91 cm (3 feet 0 inches) in length and 9.6 kg (21 lbs 4 oz) in weight. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record for length stood 45 cm (18 inches) with the fish caught in Pensacola Bay, Pensacola, Florida in March 2022. The corresponding world record for weight stood at 9.6 kg (21 lbs 4 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off New Orleans, Louisiana in April 1982. They are bottom dwellers that feed primarily on invertebrates including barnacles, bivalves, clams, crabs, and other crustaceans. They are preyed upon by other large fish including sharks, specifically the Bull Shark, Carcharhinus leucas. They spawn in early spring in deeper offshore waters with each female releasing up to 250,000 eggs, which are pelagic and hatch within 28 hours of fertilization. They are prone to kills from low oxygen and red tide conditions. They have lifespans of up to 20 years.

The Sheepshead is a resident of and found in all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

 The Sheepshead is most likely confused with the Black Drum, Pogonias cromis (barbels on lower jaw) and the Atlantic Spadefish, Chaetodipterus faber (short snout; rounder body shape).

From a conservation perspective the Sheephead is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are considered to be an excellent food fish and are targeted  on a limited basis by commercial fishermen utilizing hook and line, longlines, bottom trawls and fish traps. They are heavily pursued by recreational anglers primarily from jetties and rocky shores with small hooks. They are unregulated in most parts of their range (except for coastal waters of the southeast United States). They are subject to habitat destruction and overfishing in some parts of their range. They are utilized in the aquarium trade on a limited basis.