Remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer was observed by wreckfish throughout our dive at the Cape Fear Lophelia Banks Deepwater Marine Protected Area. Wreckfish, also known as sea bass or stone bass, are a commercially important species of fish found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Grand Banks, Newfoundland, to La Plata River, Argentina. These large predators are typically 40 to 60 pounds and 2.5 to 4 feet long, but can reach a maximum of 220 pounds and 6.5 feet!

Wreckfish lurk in caves and under overhangs in an area known as the Charleston Bump, located off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia. They come out to feed on fish and squid migrating during the day.

From January through mid-April, wreckfish spawn multiple times in the Charleston Bump. After eggs are fertilized externally, eggs and larvae are transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the coast of Europe, and return as adults to the southeastern coast of the United States.

Visit this page to learn more about wreckfish.