California Sheephead
Semicossyphus pulcher
The California sheephead has dog-like teeth, white chin, and bright pink, red, or peach coloration. The males have a distinctive bold vertical stripe pattern, with a knobby head that makes them easy to distinguish in California’s waters. While sheephead have been commercially overfished, they are still very popular with recreational anglers.
Credit: Ken Kurtis
SPECIES IN DETAIL
California Sheephead
Semicossyphus pulcher
CONSERVATION STATUS: Vulnerable
CLIMATE CHANGE: Uncertain
At the Aquarium
Blue Cavern
Geographic Distribution
Baja, California, Mexico to Monterey, California, USA
Habitat
3-85 m (10-280 ft) rocky reefs and kelp forest habitats.
Physical Characteristics
Females and males can easily be told apart based on their coloration. Females are primarily a peach/pink color. Males have black heads and rears, with a pink middle.
Sheephead have very pronounced teeth.
Size
Up to 1 meter and 16kg (3 feet and 40 pounds)
Diet
Sheephead enjoy a wide variety of invertebrates, including snails, barnacles, urchins, squid, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers. Their teeth can be used to pry their prey from rocks. Sheephead have a special plate in their throat that crushes the shell of their prey into smaller pieces to facilitate digestion.
At the Aquarium, they are fed fish, clam, shrimp, squid, and sea urchins.
Reproduction
Females reach sexual maturity between 3 - 6 years of age. California sheephead spawn during the spring and summer. Juvenile sheephead are a bright red-orange with a black spot on their tail, and some black coloration on their dorsal and pelvic fins. They convert to the full female adult coloration at about two years of age.
California sheephead are sequential hermaphrodites. They begin life as females, and transition to males later in life. Usually the largest male will transition to female if no male is present. Often one male is in charge of a territory where females will congregate, especially during mating season.
Behavior
Males will establish spawning territories, and have been observed protecting areas up to 20 meters (60 ft) long during spawning season (June to August). During the spawning season, groups of females have been observed visiting male territories in the evenings, but are more widely distributed during the day.
Males define and defend their territory by chasing away smaller males. Two competing males may face off in a competitive display, which is sometimes called a “big mouth contest”. Both males will face one another, opening their mouths wide, and flaring their fins. Sometimes the males will make contact with one another and lock jaws in their display of dominance.
California sheephead begin life as females and turn into a male later in life. They may remain female up to 15 years. They are one of many species within the wrasse family that have evolved to change sex from female to male. Sheephead have been observed using rocks as tools to dislodge food from the reef, or to crush hard outer shells of invertebrates.
Adaptation
Sheephead begin life as females and turn into a male later in life. They may remain female up to 15 years. They are one of many species within the wrasse family that have evolved to change sex from female to male.
Longevity
Sheephead have been known to live up to 50 years.
Conservation
The California sheephead is part of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Nearshore Fishery Management Plan. Minimum catch size is set to 33cm (13 inches) and limited to 5 fish during open seasons. The California sheephead is also protected within many of the nearshore Marine Protected Areas along the California Coast, and around Catalina and the Channel Islands.
Special Notes
All Calfironia Sheephead begin life as females. The largest female in a harem will transition to become the male, if no other male is present.
SPECIES IN DETAIL | Print full entry
California Sheephead
Semicossyphus pulcher
CONSERVATION STATUS: Vulnerable
CLIMATE CHANGE: Uncertain
Blue Cavern
Baja, California, Mexico to Monterey, California, USA
3-85 m (10-280 ft) rocky reefs and kelp forest habitats.
Females and males can easily be told apart based on their coloration. Females are primarily a peach/pink color. Males have black heads and rears, with a pink middle.
Sheephead have very pronounced teeth.
Up to 1 meter and 16kg (3 feet and 40 pounds)
Sheephead enjoy a wide variety of invertebrates, including snails, barnacles, urchins, squid, sea urchins, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers. Their teeth can be used to pry their prey from rocks. Sheephead have a special plate in their throat that crushes the shell of their prey into smaller pieces to facilitate digestion.
At the Aquarium, they are fed fish, clam, shrimp, squid, and sea urchins.
Females reach sexual maturity between 3 - 6 years of age. California sheephead spawn during the spring and summer. Juvenile sheephead are a bright red-orange with a black spot on their tail, and some black coloration on their dorsal and pelvic fins. They convert to the full female adult coloration at about two years of age.
California sheephead are sequential hermaphrodites. They begin life as females, and transition to males later in life. Usually the largest male will transition to female if no male is present. Often one male is in charge of a territory where females will congregate, especially during mating season.
Males will establish spawning territories, and have been observed protecting areas up to 20 meters (60 ft) long during spawning season (June to August). During the spawning season, groups of females have been observed visiting male territories in the evenings, but are more widely distributed during the day.
Males define and defend their territory by chasing away smaller males. Two competing males may face off in a competitive display, which is sometimes called a “big mouth contest”. Both males will face one another, opening their mouths wide, and flaring their fins. Sometimes the males will make contact with one another and lock jaws in their display of dominance.
California sheephead begin life as females and turn into a male later in life. They may remain female up to 15 years. They are one of many species within the wrasse family that have evolved to change sex from female to male. Sheephead have been observed using rocks as tools to dislodge food from the reef, or to crush hard outer shells of invertebrates.
Sheephead begin life as females and turn into a male later in life. They may remain female up to 15 years. They are one of many species within the wrasse family that have evolved to change sex from female to male.
Sheephead have been known to live up to 50 years.
The California sheephead is part of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Nearshore Fishery Management Plan. Minimum catch size is set to 33cm (13 inches) and limited to 5 fish during open seasons. The California sheephead is also protected within many of the nearshore Marine Protected Areas along the California Coast, and around Catalina and the Channel Islands.
All Calfironia Sheephead begin life as females. The largest female in a harem will transition to become the male, if no other male is present.