sheepshead

sheepshead
/sheeps"hed'/, n., pl. (esp. collectively) sheepshead, (esp. referring to two or more kinds or species) sheepsheads for 1-3.
1. a deep-bodied, black-banded food fish, Archosargus probatocephalus, living along the Atlantic coast of the U.S.
2. a freshwater drum, Aplodinotus grunniens, of eastern North America.
3. sheephead.
4. Also called schafskopf. Cards. an earlier and simpler form of skat.
5. Obs. a foolish or stupid person.
[1535-45; SHEEP + 'S1 + HEAD]

* * *

Species (Archosargus probatocephalus) of popular edible sport fish in the porgy family, common along southern North American Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts.

The species has inexplicably become very rare from New England to the Chesapeake Bay area, where it was once prevalent. Sheepsheads have a high forehead and a compressed silver body with wide, dark, vertical bands, most distinct in juveniles. The large flat teeth crush and grind crustaceans and hard-shelled mollusks. Adults are typically 2–2.5 ft (60–75 cm) long and weigh about 20 lbs (9 kg).

* * *

▪ Archosargus probatocephalus
      (Archosargus probatocephalus), popular edible sport fish in the family Sparidae (order Perciformes), common in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters of the southern North American coast. Although once prevalent in the New England to Chesapeake Bay area, the species has inexplicably become very rare.

      Sheepshead are characteristically large fish with compressed bodies and high foreheads. The body colour is silver with broad, dark vertical bands that are most distinct in juveniles. The large flat teeth are used for crushing and grinding not only crustaceans but also mollusks such as clams and oysters. Adult sheepshead commonly range in length from 60 to 75 cm (2 to 2 1/2 feet). Some specimens have been known to exceed 1 m (3 feet) and weight more than 11 kg (25 pounds).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sheepshead — or Sheephead is a trick taking card game related to the Skat family of games. It is the Americanized version of a card game which originated in Central Europe in the late 1700s under the German name Schafkopf . Although Schafkopf literally means… …   Wikipedia

  • Sheepshead — oder Amerikanischer Schafkopf ist die amerikanische Form des alten deutschen Kartenspiels Schafkopf. Es unterscheidet sich sowohl in den Regeln als auch im gesellschaftlichen Kontext erheblich von der besonders in Bayern äußerst populären… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • sheepshead — [shēps′hed΄] n. 1. pl. sheepshead or sheepsheads 2. ☆ a) a large, edible, marine porgy fish (Archosargus probatocephalus) with a massive head, a striped body, and sheeplike incisor and molar teeth: found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the… …   English World dictionary

  • Sheepshead — Sheeps head , n. [So called because of the fancied resemblance of its head and front teeth to those of a sheep.] (Zo[ o]l.) A large and valuable sparoid food fish ({Archosargus probatocephalus} syn. {Diplodus probatocephalus}) found on the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sheepshead Bay Race Track — Location Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, United States Owned by Coney Island Jockey Club Date opened June 19, 1880[1] Course type Fl …   Wikipedia

  • Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn — Sheepshead Bay is a bay separating the mainland of Brooklyn, New York City from the eastern portion of Coney Island, the latter originally a barrier island but now effectively an extension of the mainland with peninsulas both east (the… …   Wikipedia

  • Sheepshead Bay (línea Brighton) — Sheepshead Bay …   Wikipedia Español

  • Sheepshead minnow — Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii …   Wikipedia

  • Sheepshead (fish) — Taxobox name = Sheepshead image width = 250px regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Actinopterygii ordo = Perciformes familia = Sparidae genus = Archosargus species = A. probatocephalus binomial = Archosargus probatocephalus binomial… …   Wikipedia

  • Sheepshead Bay (BMT Brighton Line) — Infobox NYCS name = Sheepshead Bay font color = black bg color = #FFC800 bg color 2 = #FF6E1A line = BMT Brighton Line service = Brighton platforms = 2 island platforms tracks = 4 borough = Brooklyn open year = 1908 north line = BMT Brighton Line …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”