SHEEPHEAD
(sp. Archosargus probatocephalus)
They’re called ‘Sheephead’ or ‘Sheepshead’
because of their teeth - designed to crush
Shellfish. The Sheephead lives on a diet of
Crabs, Bivalves and Barnacles, giving this
fish a ‘Shell-Fishy’ flavor, which is preferred
by many. They grow up to 30 inches long and
can weigh up to 15 lbs.
They can be found from Sheepshead Bay
in Brooklyn, New York - down the Eastern
Seaboard - to the southern most Texas Gulf
Coast. They’re quite plentiful from Rockport
to Brownsville, Texas.
ROCKPORT OYSTERS
(sp. Crassostrea virginica)
The Oysters here in Rockport have been
World Famous for the past hundred years and
are still considered one of our most valuable
resources. The native Copane Indians, and
others, depended on them for survival. The
European locals were dredging them for food
and shelter (Shellcrete) in the 1830’s. And
they were wholeheartedly embraced by our
Fishing Industry, which began picking up in
the 1880’s.
An Oytster is a Bivalve Mollusk.
When it comes to Oysters, people either love
them or they can’t stand them - not much in
between.
LORE:
Commercial Pearl Oysters
belong to a different Family: Pteriidae - known as Feathered Oysters.
LEGEND: There’s a Legend
71
(amongst those who Oyster) that the
name ‘Rockport’ was in reference to
an Oyster Reef.