The Paralabrax Clathratus: Kelp Bass or more commonly known to Southern California anlgers as the Calico Bass. This 9lb. version was caught by Ben Florentino at Catalina Island, fishing 5.5" Big Hammer swimbait.
....Paralabrax as a genius are part of the Sea Bass family (Serranidae). Locally we have 3 species of this genus regularly found: Paralabrax clatharatus (Kelp Bass), Paralabrax nebulifer (Barred San Bass), Paralabrax maculatofasciatus (Spotted Bay Bass).
WHY THEY ARE WHERE THEY ARE
....These species being part of the same genus have very similar body types and therefore similar habits. The paralabrax as a genus are a structure-oriented species, as we all know. They have a high ratio of white to red muscle (Fast twitch to Slow twitch). This suits them perfectly to be ambush predators. Animals with white muscle are able to perform high burst activity for a short period of time. Animals with more red muscle are able to maintain an activity for long periods of time, but may not be able to accomplish high output burst. This along with their perch like body makes them ideal for living around structure.
....Their flat compact perch body with large pectoral fins allows them to be extremely maneuverable at slow speeds in and around structure while their white muscle will enable them to come flying out of their structure to ambush prey or elude predators. Also all species in this genus display cryptic coloration patterns allowing them to blend into their surroundings, again allowing them to be more efficient at ambushing prey and in seeking refuge from predators.
....Also as do most fish, the paralabrax display abilities to adjust chromatophores on their skin. This allows them to better blend in to their surroundings. If you have ever seen Calicos that were bronze near boilers and wondered how they turned white in your tank, this is how. Sandies on the break wall are almost black sometimes, while on the flats over mud they may be light grey almost white. This is an involuntary reaction to their surroundings, and they will do it automatically so they are better camouflaged in their surroundings.
BREEDING HABITS
....Paralabrax gather in the spring and summer months in large congregations to spawn. Ideal spawning water temperature is determined by a few different factors. Different areas and different species may vary greatly on their preferred water temperature for breeding. Either by release of pheromones or by biological clock, these species will start to congregate in specific areas. I am sure we have all seen examples of this in July with Sand Bass on the Huntington Flats in huge congregations. Males are generally smaller than females, an example of this again when you catch breeding sand bass; you may have seen smaller fish excrete sperm as you bring them aboard. This is a last ditch effort to pass on their genetic code into the future gene pool.
....There are a few environmental factors that have caused females to become bigger in these species. Number one above all is the fact that a larger fish can carry more eggs, while a small fish can still carry the necessary amount of sperm. In the case of broadcast spawners like members of paralabrax , eggs are definitely the limiting factor in the reaction. The more eggs a female can carry, the better chance that a small percentage of her offspring will survive, and her genetics will be passed on to future generations. Paralabrax species will congregate, and when a female is ready, and courted by the right mate they will swim side by side releasing eggs and sperm into the water, and hopefully fertilizing some of the eggs. Of these millions of eggs a single female can carry, only a very small fraction will actually survive to adulthood. Many will become part of the food chain as zooplankton, or even still as small fish forage. For this reason it is especially important that large breeding fish are released whenever possible. Large female fish don't just produce a few more eggs than smaller females; they produce exponentially more eggs than smaller fish. For example one 6lb. female doesn't just carry twice as much eggs as 2-3lb females would. She may carry as much as 6 or maybe even 10 times that of 3lb females. This just depends on water conditions, food source availability and the individual fish's health.
....The great thing about fishing during the breeding months is that the fish can be incredibly easy to locate in large numbers. One must take precautions to be cognizant of what is actually occurring. If you are going to take fish for eating, try to take fish on the smaller side, especially if you know they are males (most easily determined by excretion). As we all know it only takes a few males to get the job done, think about it as weeding out a sausage fest party to the perfect ratios. What you don't want to is take away all the females, especially the bigger ones. We need them to get as many viable progeny in the water as possible to continue the further succession of the species.
SWIM BLADDER
....Why do they have that stupid thing, if it makes them blow up when you bring them up fast? There is actually a very good reason many fish have adapted to have a swim bladder, and the answer is simple. If you SCUBA or skin-dive, you will understand this immediately. If fish didn't have a swim bladder they would only be able to occupy a very specific depth in the water column. Any change in depth would correspond with a different density of water, and therefore a change in buoyancy. So, if you are a SCUBA diver you know you have your weight belt to make you neutrally buoyant.
