sea bass, large and slow to reproduce

Size
Length: 80–120 cm, Weight: 10–25 kg
Lifespan
40–60 years
Diet
Feeds on small fish, squid and crustaceans. Lives on rocky reefs and underwater pinnacles from 100 to 400 metres depth. A deepwater species, less common than hapuku, found off rocky headlands.
Habitat
Inhabits rocky reefs and underwater pinnacles from 100 metres down to 400 metres. Often in deep water off continental shelf. The big brother of the hapuku, less common but just as impressive.
Range
Found throughout country in deep water off rocky headlands and underwater mountains. Most common in deep water off North Island east coast and South Island west coast. Distributed across offshore zones.
Endemism
Native
Main Threats
Commercial overfishing impacts populations. Bycatch in bottom trawl and longline fisheries occurs. Slow growth rate makes recovery difficult. Habitat loss from bottom trawling damaging deepwater reefs also threatens stocks.
Population
Not Threatened. Less common than hapuku in New Zealand waters, but found throughout country. Especially in deep water off rocky headlands and underwater mountains. A prized catch for deepwater anglers seeking challenge.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Deepwater giant of the rocky reef. This is a fish that takes decades to grow. The bass looks almost identical to the hapuku. It has a thick, deep body. A large blunt head sits at the front. The mouth is full of sharp teeth. But the bass is darker. Often deep charcoal grey to almost black. The lower jaw is more prominent. It can grow even larger than hapuku. Reaching over two metres is possible. Weighing more than fifty kilograms happens regularly. A fish that looks like it could win a fight. The appearance suggests power. The size confirms it. Ambush predators of the deep reef define this species. Bass hide in caves and under ledges. They wait for prey to swim past. Feeding happens on fish, squid and crustaceans. Powerful jaws crush and swallow prey whole. Growth is slow. Life is long. Some individuals reach over fifty years of age. A fish that takes decades to reach its full size. The patience is biological. The maturity is delayed. The investment is time. Bass are a bucket-list fish for serious deepwater anglers. They are strong. They are stubborn. They live in deep, challenging water. Catching one requires electric reels. Heavy sinkers are necessary. And a whole lot of patience. The bait is sent down three hundred metres. Then the wait begins. And wait. And wait. Then the rod bends. The cranking starts. Hoping it is a bass and not just another big, dumb shark is part of the process. A fish that tests patience. The effort is physical. The anticipation is mental. To catch a bass is to catch the deepwater king. It is the fish that makes an angler invest in heavy gear. And long days on the water. Waiting for that tell-tale tug from the dark water below is the ritual. The depth is extreme. The reward is significant. The memory is lasting. The line drops into the dark. The bass waits in its cave, hidden, watching. The bait drifts past. The mouth opens. The line goes tight. The fight begins. The bass has been waiting for fifty years. It can wait a little longer. The resistance is formidable. The strength is surprising. The outcome is uncertain. The angler holds on. The fish pulls back. The deep water hides the struggle. The surface reveals the result. Victory or defeat. The bass carries on. It returns to the cave. Or it does not. The cycle continues. The reef remains. The giant persists.