Skip to main content
NC DEQ logo NC DEQ

Topical Navigation

  • Home
  • Divisions
    Divisions
    • Air Quality
    • Coastal Management
    • Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources
    • Environmental Assistance and Customer Service
    • Environmental Education and Public Affairs
    • Marine Fisheries
    • Mitigation Services
    • Waste Management
    • Water Infrastructure
    • Water Resources
  • Permits & Rules
    Permits & Rules
    • Permit Directory
    • State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)
    • Express Permitting
    • DEQ Forms
    • Permit Assistance and Guidance
    • Rules & Regulations
    • Enforcement
    • NC DEQ ePayments
    • DEQ Permitting Transformation Program
    • Environmental Application Tracker
    • Pre-Regulatory Landfills Map
    • Title VI Compliance
    • Risk-Based Remediation
  • Outreach & Education
    Outreach & Education
    • N.C. Environmental Education
    • Distance Learning - Environmental Education
    • Environmental Justice
    • Educator Resources
    • Recognition Programs
    • Public Involvement Programs
    • Training
    • Recreation
    • Research
    • Grants
    • Conservation
    • Recycling
  • Energy & Climate
    Energy & Climate
    • Energy Group
    • Climate Change
    • Community Solar
    • Energy Assurance
    • Energy Efficiency and Weatherization
    • Energy Resilience
    • Transportation
    • Workforce Development
    • Offshore Wind Development
  • News
    News
    • Press Releases
    • Public Information Contacts
    • Environmentally Speaking Blog
    • Public Notices & Hearings
    • Events
    • Key Issues
    • DEQ Dashboard
    • Legislative Reports
    • Requesting Public Records
  • About
    About
    • Our Mission
    • Leadership
    • Boards and Commissions
    • Divisions
    • Green Square
    • Contact
    • Work at DEQ
  • NC.GOV
  • AGENCIES
  • JOBS
  • SERVICES
NC DEQ »   About »   Divisions »   Marine Fisheries »   Public Information and Education »   Species Profiles »   Black Sea Bass

Black Sea Bass

Black Sea Bass

Click here to view management info about this species

AKA: blackfish, Atlantic sea bass, bass, rock bass, old humpback, pinbass

Description: Larger black sea bass are black, while the smaller ones are more of a dusky brown. The exposed parts of scales are paler than the margins, making the fish look like it is barred with a series of dots running lengthwise. The belly is slightly lighter in color than the sides. The fins are dark, and the dorsal is marked with a series of white spots and bands. The upper portion of the caudal fin ends as a filament. During spawning, males may have a conspicuous blue hump at the nape of the neck.

Size: Black sea bass grow to 24 inches and 6 pounds.

Sometimes confused with: black drum, bank sea bass, rock sea bass

Habitat: Black sea bass inhabit irregular hard-bottom areas, such as wrecks or reefs. They are found from Cape Cod, Mass., to Cape Canaveral, Fla., and those found in the South Atlantic usually occur more inshore with other tropical reef fish, such as snappers, groupers, porgies and grunts. Juveniles are common in the high-salinity areas of the estuaries during the summer.

Eating habits: Black sea bass are opportunistic feeders eating whatever is available, but they prefer crabs, shrimp, worms, small fish and clams.

Life cycle: Black sea bass change sex with size. Large individuals are males, and smaller individuals are female. They spawn from February through May in the South Atlantic. Females reach sexual maturity when they are around 7.5 inches long and males when they are around 9 inches long. Seasonal inshore and offshore migrations occur along the northern part of the black sea bass range above Cape Hatteras.

Fishing tips: Anglers bottom fish for black sea bass over wrecks and reefs using strips of squid or fish as bait.

N.C. Saltwater Fishing Tournament

Award for harvest of fish, 4 pounds or greater.

See the list of weigh stations

Regulations

Persons engaged in recreational fishing in North Carolina coastal waters are required to possess a Coastal Recreational Fishing License in accordance with G.S. 113-174.2.

Current Proclamations

Recreational Size and Bag Limits

Download the Fish Rules mobile app

Species Profiles

  • Fish Species by Common Name
  • Almaco Jack
  • Atlantic Bonito
  • Atlantic Croaker
  • Atlantic Menhaden
  • Atlantic Spadefish
  • Bank Sea Bass
  • Bigeye Tuna
  • Black Drum
  • Black Sea Bass
  • Blackfin Tuna
  • Blue Marlin
  • Bluefin Tuna
  • Bluefish
  • Blueline Tilefish
  • Butterfish
  • Cobia
  • Dolphinfish
  • Florida Pompano
  • Flounder
  • Gag Grouper
  • Gray Triggerfish
  • Great Barracuda
  • Greater Amberjack
  • Hogfish
  • Inshore Lizardfish
  • King Mackerel
  • Kingfishes
  • Knobbed Porgy
  • Little Tunny
  • Northern Puffer
  • Oyster Toadfish
  • Pigfish
  • Pinfish
  • Red Drum
  • Red Grouper
  • Red Porgy
  • Red Snapper
  • Rock Sea Bass
  • Sailfish
  • Scamp
  • Searobins
  • Shad
  • Sharks
  • Sheepshead
  • Silver Perch
  • Skates
  • Skipjack Tuna
  • Spanish Mackerel
  • Speckled Hind
  • Spot
  • Spottail Pinfish
  • Spotted Seatrout
  • Stingrays
  • Striped Bass
  • Striped Mullet
  • Swordfish
  • Vermilion Snapper
  • Wahoo
  • Weakfish
  • White Grunt
  • White Marlin
  • Yellowedge Grouper
  • Yellowfin Tuna
  • Yellowtail Snapper

Share this page:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

How can we make this page better for you?

Back to top

Contact Us

Physical Address
North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
217 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27603 Map It
877-623-6748

Mailing Addresses

Work for Us

  • Job Opportunities at DEQ
  • For State Employees
  • DEQ Intranet

Twitter Feed

Tweets by NC DEQ

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • DEQ Employee Directory
  • Translation Disclaimer
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Open Budget
NC DEQ
https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/public-information-and-education/species-profiles/black-sea-bass