| Barred
Sand Bass |
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(click me) |
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Family: |
Serranidae (Sea Basses) |
Genus and Species: |
Paralabrax nebulifer |
Description: |
The body of the barred sand bass is rather
elongate and compressed. The mouth is large and the lower jaw protrudes slightly.
The color is gray white on the back, white on the belly and there are dark
vertical bars on the sides. Barred sand bass can be easily distinguished
from kelp bass by the height of the third dorsal spine. In barred sand bass,
this spine is the longest of the dorsal spines, while in the kelp bass, the
third, fourth and fifth dorsal spines are of about equal length. Barred sand
bass can be distinguished from spotted sand bass by the lack of spots on
the body. |
Range: |
Barred sand bass occur from Magdalena Bay,
Baja California, to Santa Cruz, California. This species occurs from shallow
water to depths of 600 feet; however, most fish are taken in 60 to 90 feet
of water. |
Natural History: |
The barred sand bass diet includes crabs,
octopus, squid, and small fishes. The adults aggregate and spawn during warmer
months. The eggs are free floating. The striped young appear in southern
California nearshore areas and eelgrass beds during fall and winter. |
Fishing Information: |
Most barred sand bass landed in California
are taken between May and October. They are fished in three main areas: Horseshoe
Kelp to Newport Beach, Dana Point to Oceanside and the Silver Strand off
San Diego. The best method for catching barred sand bass is to search a sandy
area with an echosounder until a school is located. The boat then can be
anchored and fishing commenced with live anchovies. Barred sand bass will
usually "build" or gather under the boat when chummed so it pays to wait
for awhile before moving. |
Other Common Names: |
sand bass, sandy, ground bass, sugar bass,
kelp bass, California sandbass, rock bass. |
Largest Recorded: |
26 inches; 11.1 pounds. |
Habitat: |
Shallow Sandy Environment |
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