California Sheephead!
Bodianus pulcher Art this week!
This week’s Cal Native is the California Sheephead (Bodianus pulcher)!
As I mentioned, this isn’t a full article today because I’ve been unable to focus in a way I’d like. However, I don’t want to leave you guys without info. So below is my favorite fun fact about the California Sheephead and some sources I would have used for the full article.
Fun Fact
All California Sheephead are born female. As they get older and larger, they can develop into males.
You might also notice there is a different name between the genus listed here and some of the sources. It seems this is a recent change. Originally it was part of the genus Semicossyphus; now it’s Bodianus.
Today’s Art
Today’s Art was created in Clip Studio Paint and took me about 3.5 hours to finish. The scales were a bit scare going in, but I’m happy with what I ultimately settled on.
My reference came from i-Naturalist here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/372847987
Sources
https://marinespecies.wildlife.ca.gov/california-sheephead/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13355618/
https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals-the-ocean/animals-a-to-z/california-sheephead
https://marinespecies.wildlife.ca.gov/california-sheephead/the-species/
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/61340/12464899
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?subview=map&taxon_id=1439813
Great illustration!!