Barred Sand Bass
Paralabrax nebulifer
Physical Description
- Long body with a square tail.
- Gray-white coloration on back, with a white belly and dark vertical bars on the sides.
- Two short dorsal (back) spines and then a very long third dorsal spine.
- Narrow dark bar below eye.
- Can be up to 25.5 inches long and 14 pounds.
Range
- From Santa Cruz, California to Magdalena Bay, Baja California, Mexico.
Habitat
- Most are in waters from 60-90 feet, can be in as deep as 600 feet.
- Live in shallow sandy environments near reefs, rock outcroppings, and kelp beds.
- Often rest on the bottom propped up on their pectoral (side) fins.
Reproduction
- Barred sand bass spawn from May-October.
- Adult fish form large spawning colonies in specific spawning grounds in Southern California during the spawning season.
- Females can spawn multiple times during the season.
- They reproduce by broadcast spawning, where eggs and sperm are released into the water column.
Diet
- Crabs, octopus, squid, small fish, midshipmen.
Predators
- Sharks, marine mammals, osprey.
Interesting Facts
- They are sometimes called grumps or grumpy due to their mouths.
Hear a Barred Sand Bass
Sources: California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Pierfishing.com; Ben Frable, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Photo: David R Andrew