Western Atlantic seabream
Encyclopedia
The Western Atlantic seabream, Archosargus rhomboidalis is an ocean
-going species
of fish
in the family
, Sparidae
. It was first described in 1758 by the “father of modern taxonomy,” Carolus Linnaeus
, in the 10th edition of his book, Systema Naturae
. Within their native range, Western Atlantic seabream are also known as the Seabream, Brim, Tropical sheepshead, Chopa amarilla, or Salema. Although they are eaten, and have been described as pan fish
, Western Atlantic seabream have not gained the popularity as a gamefish that their relative, the Sheepshead
(A. probatocephalus) has.
Carolus Linnaeus described the Western Atlantic seabream in the 1758 edition of Systema Naturae. It was originally placed in Perca
, a genus currently containing three species of freshwater
fishes, such as the Yellow perch
and European perch
. It was later moved to the genus Archosargus. The German naturalist
Marcus Elieser Bloch
described this species in his work, Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische (General Natural History of Fishes), under the name Archosargus unimaculatus in 1792, which is now considered an "ambiguous synonym".
or yellow, and a dark spot at the shoulder. It does have vertical crossbars, like the Sheepshead, but they disappear with age.
The maximum published length of a Western Atlantic seabream is 33 cm, though they usually grow to about 20 cm. The heaviest was recorded to weigh 0.55 kg. Western Atlantic seabream have nine spines
on their dorsal fin
s, and 10–11 soft rays. On their anal fins, they have only three spines, but the same number of rays. The large intestine
of the Western Atlantic seabream makes up roughly 90% of the length of its entire digestive tract. Male
s and female
s can be distinguished by the color of their pelvic fins: in males, the fin is partially or totally dark, while in females it is an orange color.
and the northern Gulf of Mexico
, south to Argentina
. Oddly, they are not found near the Bahamas, though they are known from many other parts of the West Indies.
They are commonly found in mangrove swamps, and in muddy, or vegetated bottoms. They are occasionally found in brackish water, and over reef
s near mangroves. Western Atlantic seabream feed mainly on small, benthic invertebrates, such as bivalves, crustaceans and aquatic plants and can live up to two years in the wild.
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
-going species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, Sparidae
Sparidae
The Sparidae is a family of fish, included in the order Perciformes. The fish of the family are commonly called sea breams and porgies . The sheepshead, scup, and red sea bream are species in this family. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters and are bottom-dwelling carnivores....
. It was first described in 1758 by the “father of modern taxonomy,” Carolus Linnaeus
Carolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
, in the 10th edition of his book, Systema Naturae
Systema Naturae
The book was one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carolus Linnaeus. The first edition was published in 1735...
. Within their native range, Western Atlantic seabream are also known as the Seabream, Brim, Tropical sheepshead, Chopa amarilla, or Salema. Although they are eaten, and have been described as pan fish
Pan Fish
Marine Harvest ASA , Pan Fish prior to February 6, 2007, is a Norwegian seafood company with operations in a number of countries around the world. The company's primary interest is the production, processing and sale of farmed salmon, the operations of which are focused on Norway, Scotland, Canada,...
, Western Atlantic seabream have not gained the popularity as a gamefish that their relative, the Sheepshead
Sheepshead (fish)
The sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus, is a marine fish that grows to 30 in , but commonly reaches 10 to 20 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...
(A. probatocephalus) has.
Taxonomy and naming
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
, a genus currently containing three species of freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
fishes, such as the Yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
and European perch
European perch
The European perch, Perca fluviatilis, is a predatory species of perch found in Europe and Asia. In some areas it is known as the redfin perch or English perch, and it is often known simply as perch. The species is a popular quarry for anglers and has been widely introduced beyond its native area,...
. It was later moved to the genus Archosargus. The German naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
Marcus Elieser Bloch
Marcus Elieser Bloch
Marcus Elieser Bloch was a German medical doctor and naturalist. He is generally considered one of the most important ichthyologists of the 18th century.- Life :...
described this species in his work, Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische (General Natural History of Fishes), under the name Archosargus unimaculatus in 1792, which is now considered an "ambiguous synonym".
Description
The Western Atlantic seabream is similar to other members of its genus, such as the Sheepshead. They differ in that they are smaller, have several horizontal blue streaks, mixed with goldGold (color)
Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold....
or yellow, and a dark spot at the shoulder. It does have vertical crossbars, like the Sheepshead, but they disappear with age.
The maximum published length of a Western Atlantic seabream is 33 cm, though they usually grow to about 20 cm. The heaviest was recorded to weigh 0.55 kg. Western Atlantic seabream have nine spines
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
on their dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
s, and 10–11 soft rays. On their anal fins, they have only three spines, but the same number of rays. The large intestine
Large intestine
The large intestine is the third-to-last part of the digestive system — — in vertebrate animals. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass useless waste material from the body...
of the Western Atlantic seabream makes up roughly 90% of the length of its entire digestive tract. Male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
s and female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
s can be distinguished by the color of their pelvic fins: in males, the fin is partially or totally dark, while in females it is an orange color.
Distribution and habitat
Western Atlantic seabream are known from waters off New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and the northern Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, south to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Oddly, they are not found near the Bahamas, though they are known from many other parts of the West Indies.
They are commonly found in mangrove swamps, and in muddy, or vegetated bottoms. They are occasionally found in brackish water, and over reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
s near mangroves. Western Atlantic seabream feed mainly on small, benthic invertebrates, such as bivalves, crustaceans and aquatic plants and can live up to two years in the wild.