White Seabass

The White Seabass is a large member of the family Sciaenidae found along the eastern Pacific coast, from Alaska to the tip of Baja California, with the core range centered on California and Mexico. It is the sole member of the genus Atractoscion in the eastern Pacific and is notably larger than most other drums, capable of reaching well over a meter in length. Despite its common name, it is not a true bass but a member of the drum family. White Seabass populations declined substantially in the 20th century due to habitat changes and fishing pressure, prompting extensive restoration and stocking programs that have supported partial recovery in California waters.

White Seabass have an elongated, moderately compressed body distinct from smaller sciaenids.

• Color: dark blue to bronze back fading to silvery-white sides and belly
• Markings: young fish show 3-6 dark vertical bars that fade with age
• Teeth: a pair of small canine teeth on the upper jaw
• Fins: no barbels present, unlike Black Drum
• Size: adults commonly 60-100 cm, reaching over 1.5 meters

Its larger size, lack of barbels, and bluish-bronze dorsal coloration distinguish White Seabass from smaller Pacific drums like White Croaker.

White Seabass are found along the eastern Pacific coast from Alaska to the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico, with the greatest abundance around California's kelp forests and offshore islands. They favor nearshore rocky reefs, kelp beds, and open sandy areas, typically at depths from the surface to around 60 meters. Juveniles often use shallow bays, estuaries, and eelgrass beds as nursery habitat before moving to deeper kelp forest and open coastal waters as adults. The species prefers cooler temperate waters and is closely associated with productive kelp ecosystems.

White Seabass are active, schooling predators, particularly as juveniles and subadults, though larger adults may become more solitary. They feed primarily on squid and small schooling fish, often hunting along kelp forest edges and over open sand adjacent to reef structure. The species is known to produce sounds using swim bladder muscles, a common trait among drums. Spawning occurs in nearshore waters during warmer months, with eggs and larvae developing in the water column before juveniles settle into estuarine and bay nurseries. As a top predator within kelp forest ecosystems, White Seabass help regulate populations of smaller fish and squid.