Bay whiff

Last updated

Bay whiff
Citharichthys spilopterus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Pleuronectiformes
Family: Paralichthyidae
Genus: Citharichthys
Species:
C. spilopterus
Binomial name
Citharichthys spilopterus
Günther, 1862

The bay whiff (Citharichthys spilopterus) is part of the family Paralichthyidae. [2] This family is known as "left-eye flounders". They are one of the most common flatfish of the Gulf of Mexico. They are benthic ambush predators with the ability to camouflage themselves on or just below the surface. They are often solitary animals with few individuals. [3] They vary in color from light to dark in life and are brownish in color after death. They have two dark spots on the caudal peduncle and a light spot under the pectoral fin. The average size of the Bay whiff is 15 cm and the maximum recorded length is 20 cm. The lateral line is straight along the body. It has a large mouth. The opercle on the blind side has no cirri. Their pelvic fins are also asymmetrical.

Contents

Diet

Not much is known about its feeding habits but what is known is that they feed mainly on zooplankton and zoobenthos. [4] Cannibalism has been reported among smaller juveniles. [5]

Habitat

The bay whiff lives along the bottom of coastal waters in depths from forty fathoms to twenty fathoms. [6] They have a high salinity tolerance and have been found near freshwater areas as low as 0.9 psu to coastal waters exceeding 35 psu. [7]

Reproduction and life cycle

Spawning season for C. spilopterus vary with location. Water temperature is a main reason for this reason for this variation. Populations in Brazil spawn from March to May and November, the North Carolina season is restricted to February and March, and Puerto Rico fishes spawn from November to May, and the peak of spawning occurs in both winter and spring in Louisiana. In Florida, the large presence of juveniles in May suggests a spring spawning season. [8]

Distribution

They are found throughout the western Atlantic from New Jersey through the Caribbean to Brazil. They are distributed throughout the Gulf of Mexico and move into the bays and shallow waters during the warmer months of the year. [9]

Other species mistaken for the bay whiff

Three similarly-sized species of Citharichthys have been found and are similar to the bay whiff. The Gulf Stream flounder, C. arctifrons; the sand whiff, C. arenaceus; and the spotted whiff, C. macrops. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluefish</span> Species of marine pelagic fish (Pomatomus saltatrix)

The bluefish is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae. It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Bluefish are known as tailor in Australia and New Zealand, elf and shad in South Africa. It is a popular gamefish and food fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic tripletail</span> Species of fish

The Atlantic tripletail, or tripletail, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Lobotidae. This fish is found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world except for the eastern Pacific Ocean.

<i>Citharichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Citharichthys is a genus of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family, Paralichthyidae. They have both eyes on the left sides of their heads. They are native to the oceans around the Americas, with a single species, C. stampflii off the West African coast. Most are found in relatively shallow depths, but the genus also includes species found in deep water and species that enter fresh water.

<i>Cynoscion nebulosus</i> Species of fish

Spotted seatrout(Cynoscion nebulosus), also known as speckled trout, is a common estuarine fish found in the southern United States along coasts of Gulf of Mexico and the coastal Atlantic Ocean from Maryland to Florida. While most of these fish are caught on shallow, grassy flats, spotted seatrout reside in virtually any inshore waters, from the surf of outside islands to far up coastal rivers, where they often come for shelter during cold weather. Contrary to its name, the spotted seatrout is not a member of the trout family (Salmonidae), but of the drum family (Sciaenidae). It is popular for commercial and especially recreational fishing in coastal waters of the southeastern United States. Adults reach 19-37 inches in length and 3-17 pounds in weight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crevalle jack</span> Species of fish

The crevalle jack, also known as the common jack, black-tailed trevally, couvalli jack, black cavalli, jack crevale, or yellow cavalli is a common species of large marine fish classified within the jack family, Carangidae. The crevalle jack is distributed across the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Nova Scotia, Canada to Uruguay in the western Atlantic and Portugal to Angola in the eastern Atlantic, including the Mediterranean Sea. It is distinguishable from similar species by its deep body, fin colouration and a host of more detailed anatomical features, including fin ray and lateral line scale counts. It is one of the largest fish in the genus Caranx, growing to a maximum known length of 124 cm and a weight of 32 kg, although is rare at lengths greater than 60 cm. The crevalle jack inhabits both inshore and offshore waters to depths of around 350 m, predominantly over reefs, bays, lagoons and occasionally estuaries. Young fish dispersed north by currents in the eastern Atlantic are known to migrate back to more tropical waters before the onset of winter; however, if the fish fail to migrate, mass mortalities occur as the temperature falls below the species' tolerance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gafftopsail catfish</span> Species of fish

The gafftopsail catfish is a species of marine catfish found in the waters of the western central Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. It has long, venomous spines which can cause painful wounds. It feeds on crustaceans and other fish. The male of the species fertilizes the eggs of the female, and broods them in his mouth until they hatch. The gafftopsail feeds throughout the water column. This fish is a common catch in the Southeastern US, although it may be found as far north as New York. They are considered strong fighters by anglers. They are taken from piers, jetties, reefs, and the surf, as well as bottom fishing or flats fishing. They are caught with hard lures as well as soft plastics, cut bait, and live or dead shrimp. Some fishermen use traps for catfish, a method regulated by some states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellowbelly flounder</span> Species of fish

The yellowbelly flounder is a flatfish of the genus Rhombosolea, found around New Zealand. A different species from the genus Rhombosolea is found in Australia and also goes by the name yellow-belly flounder. The Māori people have commonly fished for R. leporina, and many other species of flatfish, throughout New Zealand's coastal waters for hundreds of years. The Māori name for this species is pātiki tōtara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand sand flounder</span> Species of fish

The New Zealand sand flounder is a righteye flounder of the genus Rhombosolea, found around New Zealand in shallow waters down to depths of 100 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter flounder</span> Species of fish

The winter flounder, also known as the black back, is a right-eyed ("dextral") flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is native to coastal waters of the western north Atlantic coast, from Labrador, Canada to Georgia, United States, although it is less common south of Delaware Bay. It is the most common near-shore (shallow-water) flounder in the waters from Newfoundland down through Massachusetts Bay, reaching a maximum size around 61 cm in length and 2.25 kg in weight. The species grows larger on Georges Bank, where they can reach a length of 70 cm and weight of 3.6 kg. Although winter flounder historically supported large commercial and recreational fisheries, biomass and landings have decreased since the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Witch (righteye flounder)</span> Species of fish

The witch, known in English by a variety of other common names including the witch flounder, pole flounder, craig fluke, Torbay sole, and grey sole, is a species of flatfish from the family Pleuronectidae. It occurs on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean on muddy sea beds in quite deep water. In northern Europe it has some importance in fisheries as a food fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic croaker</span> Species of fish

The Atlantic croaker is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae and is closely related to the black drum, the silver perch, the spot croaker, the red drum, the spotted seatrout, and the weakfish. It is commonly found in sounds and estuaries from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European flounder</span> Species of fish

The European flounder is a flatfish of European coastal waters from the White Sea in the north to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in the south. It has been introduced into the United States and Canada accidentally through transport in ballast water. It is caught and used for human consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater amberjack</span> Species of fish

The greater amberjack, also known as the allied kingfish, great amberfish, greater yellowtail, jenny lind, Sea donkey, purplish amberjack, reef donkey, rock salmon, sailors choice, yellowtail, and yellow trevally, is a species of predatory ray-finned fish in the family Carangidae, the jacks and pompanos. It is found in temperate, subtropical, and tropical seas around the world. It is a popular quarry species for recreational fisheries and is important in commercial fisheries. It is the largest species in the family Carangidae.

<i>Paralichthys lethostigma</i> Species of fish

Paralichthys lethostigma, the southern flounder, is a species of large-tooth flounder native to the East Coast of the United States and the northern Gulf of Mexico. It is a popular sport fish and is the largest and most commercially valuable flounder in the western North Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. It is a "left-eyed flounder", meaning the left side is pigmented and is the "up side".

<i>Lagodon</i> Species of fish

Lagodon is a genus of saltwater fish in the family Sparidae, the breams and porgies. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Lagodon rhomboides, commonly known as pinfish. Other common names include pin perch, sand perch, choffer, and butterfish. It inhabits mostly subtropical shallow coastal waters of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States and Mexico.

Citharichthys gilberti, the bigmouth sanddab, is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, in tropical waters ranging from the Gulf of California in the north to Peru in the south. It occurs in shallow waters off the coast, to a maximum depth of 36 m (118 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf flounder</span> Species of fish

The Gulf flounder is a species of saltwater flounder.

<i>Cynoscion arenarius</i> Species of fish

Cynoscion arenarius, sand seatrout, sand weakfish or white trout, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is closely related to the common weakfish and may be a subspecies of C. regalis.

<i>Citharichthys cornutus</i> Species of fish

Citharichthys cornutus, the horned whiff, is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. This bathydemersal marine fish inhabits the continental shelves of the western Atlantic Ocean, in both tropical and subtropical waters. It ranges from New Jersey in the north to Uruguay in the south, though larvae samples have also been collected off the coast of Canada. It occurs at depths between 30 and 400 metres, though it is usually found in deeper waters.

<i>Citharichthys arenaceus</i> Species of fish

Citharichthys arenaceus, the sand whiff, is a species of flatfish in the large-tooth flounder family Paralichthyidae. This demersal marine fish inhabits the western Atlantic Ocean, occurring in shallow tropical coastal waters, as well as in estuaries, bays, and lagoons. It ranges from Florida, United States, in the north to the West Indies and Brazil in the south.

References

  1. Carpenter, K.E.; Munroe, T.; Robertson, R. (2015). "Citharichthys spilopterus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2015: e.T16439236A16509962. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T16439236A16509962.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1
  3. 4
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 2
  7. 4
  8. 4
  9. 1
  10. 4

Further reading