December 3, 2013 — This rapid change in the abundance of black sea bass has put strain on fisheries managers.
Previous posts in our Cool Fish, Hot Water series have introduced two of the species that are moving into the Gulf of Maine as water temperatures rise: seahorses and longfin squid. While seahorses are still an occasional visitor, New England’s longfin squid fishery has taken off in response to squid’s increased abundance.
This time, we’ll focus on another species with commercial potential—black sea bass.
Black sea bass are instantly recognizable by their dark brownish or bluish color, and have a very unusual life history. Most black sea bass are female when they reach maturity, but as they grow to about a foot in length (2-5 years of age), they suddenly change sex and become male for the remainder of their lives.
While the life history may be unusual, the fish itself is pretty common – to the south anyway. Black sea bass have historically been found throughout the mid-Atlantic and south to the Florida Keys. The Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries says they “generally do not occur in the Gulf of Maine”, and the area around Cape Cod was once the northern edge of their range.
Read the full story from New England Ocean Odyssey