Archosargus probatocephalus

Archosargus probatocephalus was first formally described as Sparus probatocephalus by the German physician, naturalist and taxonomist Johann Julius Walbaum with no type locality given, although it is thought to be New York. The genus Archosargus is placed in the family Sparidae within the order Spariformes by the 5th edition of Fishes of the World. Some authorities classify this genus in the subfamily Sparinae, but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sparidae. ==Etymology==

Archosargus probatocephalus has a specific name which compounds probaton, meaning "sheep", with cephalus. This means "head", reflecting its common name, sheepshead, which it was probably given because of some sheep-like features, such as having large teeth protruding from an open mouth. ==Description==

Archosargus probatocephalus has an oval shaped, deep, laterally compressed body with a small blunt head, the dorsal and ventral profiles of the head being convex. It has moderately sized eyes, a small horizontal mouth and the preorbital bone overlaps the rear of the maxilla. The teeth at the front of the jaw are broad and flattened, the upper jaw has three rows of molar-like teeth at the sides. The margin of the preoperculum is smooth, with no serrations or spines. The dorsal fin is long and not high and is supported by 12 spines, the front spine points towards the front and may be embedded, and 11 soft rays. The anal fin contains three spines, the second spine being very robust, and 9 or 10 soft rays. The pectoral fin is long, clearly greater in length than the pelvic fins, extending to the level of the middle spine of the anal fin. The caudal fin is forked. The adults are silvery to greenish-yellow with olive on the upper body. Along the flanks there are five or six dark vertical bars, which fade with age. The caudal and pectoral fins are greenish in colour while the dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins are dark. The sheepshead reaches a maximum published total length of , although is more typical. ==Distribution and habitat==

Archosargus probatocephalus is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean where it ranges from Nova Scotia to Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. It mainly occurs in coastal waters in the vicinity of rock pilings, jetties, mangrove roots, and piers, also in tidal creeks. It is euryhaline and shows a preference for brackish waters. It looks for warmer spots around springs and discharges of rivers and will occasionally enter freshwater in the winter. ==Biology==

Archosargus probatocephalus is an omnivore, the larger juveniles and adults are predators of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), oysters, clams, crustaceans, and small fish with young Atlantic croakers (Micropogonias undulatus) The large flattened teeth are used to crush prey protected by shells or armor as well as to scrape barnacles off rocks and pilings. Juveniles feed on zooplankton, polychaetes, and chironomid larvae. Populations of this fish in the Atlantic waters off the southern United States spawn mainly in the early spring. However, pelagic larvae have been observed in late winter and spring in the Gulf of Mexico. Adults move further offshore to spawn, going back to coastal waters and estuaries. The juveniles are most numerous in seagrass beds and over mud substrates, and once they grow to a length of around , they leave the seagrass beds and aggregate with the adults. ==Fishing==

Archosargus probatocephalus feeds on bivalves and crustaceans, so successful baits include shrimp, sand fleas (mole crabs), clams, fiddler crabs, and mussels. Sheepshead have a habit of stealing bait, so a small hook is necessary. ==Parasites==

As with other fish, the sheepshead has a variety of parasites. One of them is the monogenean Microcotyle archosargi, which is parasitic on its gills. ==Sheepshead Bay==

Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn was so named, after the sheepshead was found in the waters of the bay. ==References==