An extremely important food and recreational species, they are sought after throughout their range. The Gulf of Mexico plays host to a separate sub-species, not covered in this paper. The black sea bass was thought to attain 20 years of age. Study sampling of 3,000 fish taken during the mid-seventies revealed few fish over six years old and a rare maximum of nine years.
Variances are due to local availability of food and water temperatures.
The species is unique in that it is protogynous hermaphroditic. Each fish changes sex from female to male with 9.4 inches being the most commonly recorded transition period, which occurs at approximately three years. Sea Bass spawn over the Continental Shelf at depths of 59-148 feet and move progressively shoreward, seeking shelter and food in estuaries and bays. Limited migrations occur inshore and northward in the spring and southward and offshore in the fall. Fishing for the species, both recreationally and commercially is relentless.