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In Mexico, the giant sea bass is called mero gigante. The peak catch of giant sea bass in
Mexican waters occurred in 1932, when the catch was over 800,000 pounds (360,000 kg). Prior to 1964, commercial catches of giant sea bass in Mexican waters were above 200,000 pounds (91,000 kg). In 1981, United States commercial fishermen were initially allowed to catch up to 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of giant sea bass per trip into Mexican waters, and no more than 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) per year; in 1988 the regulation changed to only allow a single giant sea bass fish to be taken in per trip if taken incidentally. Within those waters for over half a century the average catch of giant sea bass by Mexican fishermen has been 55 tonnes (55,000 kg).
280:, published in 1910, the author claims specimens taken from the Gulf of California attained 800 pounds (360 kg). Aside from its tremendous size, the giant sea bass is also known for its lengthy lifespan. They mature around the age of 11 or 12, around the weight of 50 pounds (23 kg). However, some of the largest specimens have been known to exceed 7 ft, and are estimated to be 75 years or older. In the eastern North Pacific, its range is from
384:, recognized that the local population of giant sea bass had declined. Actions were taken, resulting in protection from commercial and sport fishing that went into effect in 1982. In 1996, the species was listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. As of 2004, it is suggested that the population size of giant sea bass in California may be increasing as it is under protection; however, there is no hard data to support it. In 2016, the first successful
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304:, drop-offs, or rocky bottoms and sand or mudflats. Juvenile giant sea bass can be found at depths around 69 feet (21 m), with adults of the species found at depths below 66 feet (20 m). Juveniles of the species are brightly colored in red or orange, however they become gray or brown as they mature.
399:
Giant sea bass remain understudied in the
Mexican portion of its range, although efforts are underway to monitor the population size, genetic connectivity, and fishing pressure along the Pacific coast of the Baja peninsula. More than half of the range of the giant sea bass are within Mexican waters.
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Giant sea bass were also a popular "big game" quarry for both freediving and scuba spearfishermen. In the 1970s, spearfishing for this species was made illegal by the
California Department of Fish and Game. One notable incident precipitated an abrupt change in the law. Several freedivers had taken
360:
Recreational fishing of the giant sea bass began in the late 19th century. Caught off the
Central and Southern California coasts in the 20th century, the peak catch of the giant sea bass was in 1932. Once relatively common in Southern California waters, the fish was facing the threat of
818:
Ramirez-Valdez, Arturo; Villasenor-Derbez, Juan Carlos; Sgarlatta, Maria Paula; Rowell, Timothy J.; Dominguez-Guerrero, Isai; Hernandez, Arturo; Gomez, Antonio Gomez; Cota, Juan Jose; Santana-Morales, Omar; Dominguez-Reza, Ricardo; Castro, Jhonatan.
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Giant sea bass reaching a size of 8.2 feet (2.5 m) and a weight of up to 562 pounds (255 kg) have been reported. However, in
Charles F. Holder's book
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also make up the sea bass's diet. Despite their great size and bulky appearance, giant sea bass have been known to move extremely quickly, outstripping
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839:"Giant sea bass are thriving in Mexican waters scientific research that found them to be critically endangered stopped at the US-Mexico border"
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392:. The total breeding population in California in 2018 is estimated to be around 500 individuals, of which 40 to 50 return to spawn around
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252:. Although commonly referred to as a giant sea bass, black sea bass or giant black sea bass, it is actually a wreckfish in the family
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377:. Fish and Game wardens discovered that the fish had been speared by observing the holes and slip tips left behind in their bodies.
320:, as well as a wide variety of fish. For populations off the coast of California, anchovies and croaker are prominent food sources.
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680:. California Department of Fish and Game Resource Agency. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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859:"Marine Ecologist Surprised To Find "Critically Endangered" Giant Sea Bass Thriving in Mexican Waters"
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Leet, William S.; Dewees, Christopher M.; Klingbeil, Richard; Larson, Eric J., eds. (December 2001).
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794:"Giant sea bass are mysterious to scientists. Understanding them could help the species survive"
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southward. In the northwestern
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Cornish, A. (Grouper & Wrasse
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373:. They then sold the catch illegally to a fish market in
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California's Living Marine
Resources: A Status Report
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470:; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.).
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1214:IUCN Red List critically endangered species
532:Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish
446:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T20795A9230697.en
312:Within kelp forests giant sea bass are the
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773:. National Park Service. 12 December 2019
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857:Ramirez-Valdez, Arturo (9 August 2021).
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507:Integrated Taxonomic Information System
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380:By the late 1970s, biologists with the
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382:California Department of Fish and Game
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1165:1791E391-411F-76FC-6489-167283AF5DB4
472:"Genera in the family Polyprionidae"
912:California Dept. of Fish & Game
432:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
272:A particularly large giant sea bass
256:rather than in the sea bass family
885:Giant Sea Bass (Stereolepis gigas)
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278:The Channel Islands of California
388:of the species occurred at that
248:) is a fish native to the North
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792:Sahagun, Louis (21 July 2018).
712:Sahagun, Louis (4 March 2020).
619:. Aquarium of the Pacific. 2021
562:Sterolepis gigas monthDecember
558:; Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019).
482:California Academy of Sciences
40:California Academy of Sciences
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890:(Report). State of California
883:Department of Fish and Game.
771:Channel Islands National Park
593:. Monterey Bay Aquarium. 1999
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316:. Giant sea bass feed on
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78:Scientific classification
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845:. Waltham, Massachusetts
767:"Giant (Black) Sea Bass"
648:Marine Science Institute
348:History and conservation
212:Stereolepis californicus
38:A giant sea bass at the
821:"Proyecto Mero Gigante"
390:Aquarium of the Pacific
336:, and several types of
1229:Fish described in 1859
742:"Black Seabass Return"
644:"About Giant Sea Bass"
617:Online Learning Center
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921:on Sealife Collection
914:, species description
746:Blue Water Freedivers
530:Schultz, Ken (2004).
468:Eschmeyer, William N.
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63:Critically Endangered
439:: e.T20795A9230697.
365:there by the 1980s.
503:"Stereolepis gigas"
296:, most common from
223:Megaperca ischinagi
48:Conservation status
650:. UC Santa Barbara
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290:Gulf of California
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983:stereolepis-gigas
969:Stereolepis gigas
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798:Los Angeles Times
719:Los Angeles Times
687:978-1-879906-57-0
477:Catalog of Fishes
425:Stereolepis gigas
371:Santa Cruz Island
245:Stereolepis gigas
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863:SciTechDaily
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302:kelp forests
282:Humboldt Bay
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1121:NatureServe
1069:iNaturalist
963:Wikispecies
396:each year.
318:crustaceans
156:Stereolepis
135:Perciformes
1208:Categories
917:Photos of
751:10 January
696:2001098707
404:References
286:California
258:Serranidae
227:Hilgendorf
894:11 August
868:11 August
849:11 August
777:11 August
725:13 August
654:14 August
623:13 August
597:11 August
375:San Pedro
334:sand bass
330:whitefish
326:sheephead
288:, to the
163:Species:
101:Kingdom:
95:Eukaryota
1126:2.105590
1087:10854443
1043:FishBase
1022:46578887
954:Q1070009
948:Wikidata
569:FishBase
512:18 April
322:Mackerel
229:, 1878
218:, 1863
203:Synonyms
141:Family:
115:Chordata
111:Phylum:
105:Animalia
91:Domain:
68:IUCN 3.1
1186:ZooBank
1061:5211259
803:21 July
591:Animals
487:3 April
452:3 April
151:Genus:
131:Order:
121:Class:
66: (
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1100:167918
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996:125511
978:ARKive
694:
684:
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342:bonito
294:Mexico
196:, 1859
1173:WoRMS
1160:Plazi
1113:20795
1082:IRMNG
1074:52169
1030:EUNIS
1009:52DZG
888:(PDF)
194:Ayres
1147:OBIS
1134:NCBI
1108:IUCN
1095:ITIS
1056:GBIF
1048:3310
991:BOLD
896:2021
870:2021
851:2021
805:2018
779:2021
753:2013
727:2021
692:LCCN
682:ISBN
656:2021
625:2021
599:2021
536:ISBN
514:2006
489:2020
454:2020
437:2004
338:crab
308:Diet
238:The
216:Gill
1017:EoL
1004:CoL
441:doi
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