Marine Life

Giant Sea Bass
(Stereolepis gigas)
Courtesy of Tom Haight

You won't mistake this fish for anything else in our waters. It grows to a length of 7 feet and tips the scales at over 300 pounds. The fish is brownish gray with dark spots when mature, but as a small juvenile (several inches) they are red-orange with distinct black spots. The one we had in our aquariums turned brown losing this coloration at about 8 inches. Their numbers have dropped due to overfishing and are now classified as a protected species. Usually found near the bottom they will move up and down the water column looking for food consisting of almost anything they can swallow. These fish live long lives, with aquarium specimens living over 75 years. They range from Humboldt Bay to the Sea of Cortez.