Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish - Macaw Pets store

Bream, Sea
Archosargus rhomboidalis
Habitat. Some sea bream
are abundant in estuaries,
and some are found in
deeper, offshore waters.
Some move up into brackish
water but not into freshwater.
In the estuarine environment,
bream frequent
seagrass beds, underwater
reefs and rocks, bridge pilings
that grow mussels, and
oyster beds.
48 Bream, Sea
Numerous members of the Sparidae family that are found
in temperate and tropical waters are referred to as sea
bream, or seabream. They are related to porgies, have moderate
to important significance commercially (depending
on abundance and geography), and are commonly caught
by inshore anglers. These fish are tough, dogged fighters
that are commendable on appropriate light tackle, and they
rate as excellent table fare. The more commonly distributed
and popular species are noted here.
The sea bream (Archosargus rhomboidalis) appears in the
western Atlantic Ocean from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico
to Argentina, including the Caribbean and the West
Indies. Its bluish back is streaked with gold, the belly is silvery,
and there is a black spot on each side just above the
pectoral fins.
Size. Most sea bream can reach a maximum weight of
between 7.5 and 10 pounds, but on average they weigh
between 1 and 2 pounds. The sea bream of the western
Atlantic is rarely more than a foot long.
Food. Bream are largely omnivorous and feed on crustaceans;
crayfish; mollusks, including oysters and mussels;
small fish; worms; and algae. Some will also eat bread,
chicken gut, mullet gut, cheese, and meat, all of which are
sometimes used for bait.