Two Giant Sea Bass Swim in a Circle as part of a Courtship Mating Aggregation

Two giant black sea bass swim in a courtship circle, part of a larger gathering of a mating aggregation amid kelp forest, Catalina Island. In summer months, black seabass gather in kelp forests in California to form mating aggregations. Courtship behaviors include circling of pairs of giant sea bass, production of booming sounds by presumed males, and nudging of females by males in what is though to be an effort to encourage spawning. USA, Stereolepis gigas, natural history stock photograph, photo id 33357
Two giant black sea bass swim in a courtship circle, part of a larger gathering of a mating aggregation amid kelp forest, Catalina Island. In summer months, black seabass gather in kelp forests in California to form mating aggregations. Courtship behaviors include circling of pairs of giant sea bass, production of booming sounds by presumed males, and nudging of females by males in what is though to be an effort to encourage spawning. USA

This image is featured in: Photos of Giant Sea Bass Courtship, Mating and Spawning Groups at Catalina Island, Giant Black Sea Bass, Stereolepis gigas, in the California Kelp Forest

Species: Giant black sea bass, Stereolepis gigas
Location: Catalina Island, California
Image ID: 33357
Format: Digital 2:3
Keywords: animal, black sea bass, black seabass, california, catalina, channel islands, courtship, endangered, endangered threatened species, fish, forest, giant black sea bass, giant kelp, giant sea bass, giant seabass, kelp forest, marine, marine fish, mating, nature, ocean, oceans, outdoors, outside, pacific, pacific ocean, sea, seaweed, stereolepis gigas, teleost fish, underwater, usa, wildlife
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