Description

Black sea Bass

In the Mid-Atlantic, black sea bass migrate seasonally as water temperature changes. They generally migrate to inshore coastal areas and bays in the spring and offshore in the fall.

They are bottom-dwellers and are most often found on rocky bottoms near reefs, wrecks, oyster bars, pilings, or jetties. They grow slowly and mature around two to three years old. Most begin life as females and become males between the ages of two and five.

Females produce between 30,000 and 500,000 eggs in a spawning season. Spawning takes place in the deeper waters off the continental shelf from June through October with a peak in July and August off the coast of Virginia.

Males gather a group of females to mate with and aggressively defend their territory. Black sea bass generally eat whatever prey is available, including crabs, shrimp, worms, small fish and clams.

Black Sea Bass Taste

The flavor is mild but sweet. All of these factors have combined to make it a favorite of restaurant menus. The fish is best eaten fresh. It is delicate and mild, so if you have an aversion to fishy flavors, this could be a good choice.

Appearance

Black sea bass are stout-bodied with a long dorsal fin and large pectoral and pelvic fins. The dorsal fin has a spiny forward section and the soft rayed rear section, and is marked with a series of white spots and bands. The tail is rounded and sometimes has a long streamer at the top edge.

As the name implies, their body coloration is blackish to grayish, but the center of the scales is white. During the spawning season, however, dominant males turn bright blue colors and have a large hump on their heads.

Juveniles are brown in color and have a dark lateral stripe running down the body. Black sea bass can reach up to 25” in length and over 8 pounds in weight; although the majority of fish caught weigh less than 4 pounds.

Commercial situation of seabass

Black sea bass are highly sought after by both commercial and recreational fishermen. They are managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The management plan divides the total annual quota between the recreational fishery (51%) and the commercial fishery (49%).

Recreational regulations, including an open season, bag limit, and minimum size, vary by state and are adjusted annually to achieve the harvest limit. The coastwide commercial quota is divided into annual state-by-state quotas based on historical harvests (MA=13%), with specific management measures set by each state.

In Massachusetts, the commercial fishery is limited entry and commercial fishermen are regulated by an open season and open fishing days, a daily possession limit, and a minimum size.