Marine Life

Barred Sand Bass
(Paralabrax nebulifer)
Courtesy of Tom Haight

A popular species for the sport fishing crowd, this bass is light colored with one or more blotches on its side. The Sand Bass will often be seen in areas where the bottom has both rock and sand. It's range is from Santa Cruz to lower Baja California. Reportedly growing to lengths of 26 inches, individuals are rarely seen over 18 inches. Juveniles prefer to dine on bottom- dwelling invertebrates, while the adults concentrate on smaller fishes and octopi. The Barred Sand Bass spawns during the summer months and can often be seen in large groups at that time of year.

Following is a short video clip of barred sand bass in its native habitat, courtesy of Tom Haight Marine Wildlife Photography. If the video clip does not automatically display, you may be prompted to download a plug-in that will enable you to view the video file.

    (2.3MB .avi file)