Posted by msblucow on December 09, 2001 at 15:46:11:
A few weeks back, I remember someone posting that big, trophy-sized male sheephead were past breeding age and thus a good target for spearfishing since hunting them wouldn't affect the total population.
Well something about that smelled 'fishy' to me(pun very much intended), so today I finally got around to asking the aquarist in charge of the Blue Cavern exhibit at the AOP if that was true.
In a word, his reply was no. If fact, the big alpha male sheephead are in their prime breeding-wise. Hunting them only serves to take good genetic material out of the population. If no other alpha male is in the immediate area for breeding, it can take years for the dominant female sheephead to change sex and replace him.
This aquarist, who also dives and hunts, suggested targeting the smaller, younger female sheepshead instead. They won't look as pretty when your friend takes the picture, but they'll sure taste better and be more environmentally friendly as prey.