White seabass (Atractoscion nobilis) is a saltwater species recorded in the United States. It is mainly found over rocky, at depths of 0–122 m.
Scientific name: Atractoscion nobilis · Water: Saltwater
Size: up to 152 cm
The white seabass (Atractoscion nobilis), also called the white weakfish, is a large croaker occurring from Magdalena Bay in Baja California Sur north to Juneau, Alaska, and the only California member of the croaker family to exceed 20 pounds. It is an elongated, silvery-blue fish with a pointed head, a large mouth and a ridge running the length of the belly, travelling in schools over deep rocky bottoms from the surface to about 122 m and in and out of kelp beds, where it feeds on anchovies, sardines, Pacific mackerel and squid. In the United States the fishery is essentially Californian: anglers fish live squid — widely considered the best bait — as well as large anchovies and sardines, and take fish on fast-trolled spoons, artificial squid and iron jigs in relatively shallow water, with a 28-inch minimum size limit and a 28-inch fish averaging about five years old and 7.5 lb. Juveniles live in shallow nearshore areas, bays and estuaries, where their vertical bars lead many anglers to call them sea trout. No specific fishing season is documented in the sources used here.
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