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Sheepshead
The sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus, is a marine fish that grows to 30 in (760 mm), but commonly reaches 5 to 8 in. It is deep and compressed in body shape, with 5 to 6 dark bars on the side of the body over a gray background. It has sharp dorsal spines. Its diet consists of oysters, clams, and other bivalves, and barnacles, fiddler crabs, and other crustaceans. ?It has a hard mouth, with several rows of stubby teeth, which help crush prey.
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Sheepshead
Although the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, in New York City, was named after the fish, it is almost entirely a southern species: its range extends from the Mid-Atlantic to Texas. As sheepshead feed on bivalves & crustaceans, successful baits include shrimp, sand fleas (molecrabs), clams, and mussels. Sheepshead have a knack for stealing bait, so a small hook is necessary. Locating sheepshead in a boat is not difficult: fishermen look for rocky bottoms or places with obstructions, and they try around jetties and the pilings of bridges & piers. The average weight of a sheepshead is 3 to 4 pounds, but some individuals reach the range of 10 to 15 pounds.
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