Physical description:

Sheepshead are greenish-gray, with a laterally compressed body marked vertically with five or six dark bars. The mouth is medium sized, with strong incisors and molars that enable the fish to pick up and crush shellfish and urchins. Sheepshead are saltwater fish, although they are often found in brackish waters of coastal rivers.

Biological description:

Sheepshead range from Nova Scotia to Cedar Key, Florida along the Atlantic coast of North America. Two subspecies may occur in the western Gulf of Mexico and in the South Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro. Durring the spawning season, Sheepshead swim in schools and appear to prefer sandy shores. The dark, pelagic eggs are deposited near shore. They commonly reach a length of 30 inches and a weight of 15 pounds, though larger individuals are occationally caught.

South Atlantic Federal Regulations

(For areas three-200 miles off the coasts of NC, SC, GA, and East Florida)

Commercial:

Limited access permit required.

• Gear restrictions apply.

Recreational:

• Recreational retention limits apply.
• Gear restrictions apply.