Bottom feeding ‘rarity’ caught in Texas bay for first time since 1991, officials say

Wildlife officials said they pulled a “rarity” from an East Texas bay that hadn’t been spotted in decades.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Coastal Fisheries division caught a rock sea bass while trawling in Aransas Bay, according to a Jan. 15 Facebook post from the agency.

“Can you believe our Aransas Bay team hasn’t caught this species since 1991?!” the agency said.

The rare find was also the second-largest rock sea bass ever recorded in an Aransas Bay trawl, officials said.

According to experts, rock sea bass are born as females and change to males as they age.

The species is found in shallow coastal waters, including in the Gulf of Mexico near rock outcrops and sometimes mud, according to officials. They feed on squid, crustaceans and other small fish.

Aransas Bay is about a 180-mile drive southwest from Houston.

This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Bottom feeding ‘rarity’ caught in Texas bay for first time since 1991, officials say."