Cynoscion nebulosus

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Cynoscion nebulosus
Spotted seatrout fish cynoscion nebulosus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Sciaenidae
Genus: Cynoscion
Species:
C. nebulosus
Binomial name
Cynoscion nebulosus
(Cuvier, 1830)
Synonyms [2]
  • Otolithus nebulosus Cuvier, 1830
  • Otolithus carolinensis Valenciennes, 1833

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.

Contents

Distribution and habitat

Spotted seatrout live in the top of the water column and are most numerous along the coasts of the southeastern states, such as Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida. They are also common along the coasts of North and South Carolina and Virginia. Estuarine coasts are prime settlement areas. They are uncommonly seen north of Delaware Bay and along the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They are most abundant in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern regions of the United States. Speckled trout prefer water temperatures between 59 °F and 86 °F and are typically found in waters with salinities between 5 and 35 ppt. [3]

Migration

During the winter months, speckled trout move offshore to deeper waters, but return to the estuaries and coastal waters during the spring and summer months. [3]

Characteristics

Spotted seatrout is the common name endorsed by the American Fisheries Society. However, this fish has many other common names, including speckled trout, speck, speckles, spec, truite gris (Louisiana French), trucha de mar (Mexican Spanish), spotted weakfish, spotted seateague, southern seateague, salmon, salmon trout, simon trout, winter trout, seatrout, Nosferatu fish, and black trout. Particularly large ones are nicknamed gator trout. [4]

The spotted seatrout has prominent canine teeth. Like other fish of the family Sciaenidae, it has an elongated, soft dorsal fin with scales; it is separated from the spinous dorsal fin by a deep notch. It usually has two anal spines and the lateral line extends to the tip of the caudal fin. The back has distinct spots scattered on it, including on the dorsal and caudal fins. Unlike some other members of the family Sciaenidae, the spotted seatrout does not have any chin barbels. In stained water, this fish's background may take on a golden hue. Its shape and coloration is reminiscent of a brown trout. This fish is closely related to the weakfish, Cynoscion regalis .[ citation needed ]

The average size of spotted seatrout is 0.5–1.0 kg (1.1–2.2 lb), but in most areas fish up to 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) are fairly common. Fish weighing 3.5–4.5 kg (7.7–9.9 lb) are rare. The world record is 7.9 kg (17 lb 7 oz).[ citation needed ]

Food

Small trout eat large amounts of shrimp and other crustaceans. As they grow larger, their diets shift toward fish, the larger, the better. Studies in Texas and Mississippi show that really big trout strongly prefer to feed on mullet; a large trout will find the largest mullet it can handle and try to swallow it. Often the mullet is half or two-thirds as large as the trout. [5]

Reproduction and growth

Like all members of the drum family, mature males make a "drumming" sound to attract females during the spawning season. Spotted seatrout have a long spawning season from spring through summer.

Larval seatrout reach 5–7 mm in length about two weeks after hatching, and 170–200 mm within about seven months. It takes between one and two years for seatrout to reach 300 mm (about 12 inches) and between two and three years to reach 400 mm in length (about 16 inches). The maximum age of spotted seatrout that have been caught is estimated to be 12 years old, though that is rare, and the oldest fish caught on a regular basis are closer to four or five years old. [6]

By the end of the first year, spotted seatrout are about 250 mm long and about half of them are mature enough to reproduce. [6] [7] They reproduce in shallow, grassy areas of estuaries.

As spotted seatrout grow longer, they increase in weight. The relationship between weight and length is not linear. The relationship between total length (in millimeters) and weight (in grams) can be expressed by an equation of the form:

Spotted seatrout weight vs. length Spotted Seatrout Weight Length.png
Spotted seatrout weight vs. length

Invariably, b is close to 3.0 for all species, and c is a constant that varies among species. [9] The coefficient c and the exponent b are found by fitting an equation of this form to measured weight-length data. For some fish, including spotted seatrout, the weight-length relationships vary with the seasons and with gender. [6] Jenkins [8] reported slightly different relationships for male and female spotted seatrout, and for fall and spring:

Fall/male: W = 0.00000534L3.093

Spring/male: W = 0.000011535L2.989

Fall/female: W = 0.000006252L3.066

Spring/female: W = 0.000007834L3.035

Only the relationship for male spotted seatrout in the spring appears noticeably different from the others on a graph.

Fishing

While spotted seatrout are caught by both commercial and recreational fishermen, recreational fishing represents the vast majority of the catch. Almost all spotted seatrout are caught with hook and line, as many places have banned fishing for them with gillnets.

Spotted seatrout are among the top ten species for recreational fishing in the United States. Speckled Trout Fishing Louisiana.jpg
Spotted seatrout are among the top ten species for recreational fishing in the United States.

According to the NOAA, spotted seatrout are in the top ten species for recreational fishing in the United States. [10] From 1993 – 2003, recreational fishermen in Louisiana harvested more than 6 million spotted seatrout each year. [5] Along the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia, more than half a million speckled trout were caught by recreational fishermen each year between 2005 and 2008. [11] Nevertheless, because they reproduce so well, spotted seatrout is listed as a “best choice” for sustainable seafood in Louisiana and Florida by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch.


Management

The management of the species is limited to size and possession limits, but programs have been initiated to gather more information on their overall health and abundance. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trout</span> Freshwater fish from subfamily Salmoninae

Trout is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus, all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the family Salmonidae. The word trout is also used for some similar-shaped but non-salmonid fish, such as the spotted seatrout/speckled trout.

<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.

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

Cynoscion regalis, the weakfish, squeteague, bastard trout, bastard weakfish, common weakfish, gray weakfish, chickwick, gray trout, gray sea trout, sand trout, silver weakfish or squit, is a marine ray-finned fish of the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sciaenidae</span> Family of fishes

Sciaenidae is a family of ray-finned fishes belonging to the order Acanthuriformes. They are commonly called drums or croakers in reference to the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they make. The family consists of about 293 to 298 species in about 66 or 67 genera.

<i>Arripis</i> Genus of fishes

Arripis is a genus of marine fishes from Australia and New Zealand, known as Australian salmon, kahawai and Australian herring. They are the only members of the family Arripidae. Despite the common name, Australian salmon are not related to the salmon family Salmonidae of the Northern Hemisphere, just as Australian herring are not related to herring of the Northern Hemisphere, but belong to the order Perciformes of perch-like fishes. Australian salmon were named so by early European settlers after their superficial resemblance to the salmoniform fishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea trout</span> Form of brown trout

Sea trout is the common name usually applied to anadromous (sea-run) forms of brown trout, and is often referred to as Salmo trutta morpha trutta. Other names for anadromous brown trout are bull trout, sewin (Wales), peel or peal, mort, finnock (Scotland), white trout (Ireland), Dollaghan and salmon trout (culinary).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red drum</span> Species of fish

The red drum, also known as redfish, channel bass, puppy drum, spottail bass, or simply red, is a game fish found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to northern Mexico. It is the only species in the genus Sciaenops.

Speckled trout may refer to:

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

The spot, also known commonly as the spot croaker, Norfolk spot and the Virginia spot, is a species of small short-lived saltwater fish in the family Sciaenidae. The species inhabits estuary and coastal waters from Massachusetts to Texas, and derives its name from the prominent dark spot behind each gill. It is the only species in the genus Leiostomus. Spot are frequently caught by recreational anglers and are good to eat.

<i>Arripis trutta</i> Species of fish

Arripis trutta, known as the Australian salmon in Australia and as kahawai in New Zealand, is a South Pacific marine fish and one of the four extant species within the genus Arripis, native to the cooler waters around the southeastern Australian coasts and the New Zealand coastline. Other common names for this species include Eastern Australian salmon, bay trout, blackback salmon, buck salmon, cocky salmon, colonial salmon, newfish and salmon trout.

<i>Bairdiella chrysoura</i> Species of fish

Bairdiella chrysoura, the American silver perch, silver croaker or goldtail croaker, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This species is widespread along the eastern cost of North America and is commonly caught by inshore anglers in search of larger species. This fish is common up to 20 cm (7.9 in), but can be found uncommonly to 30 cm (12 in).

<i>Argyrosomus regius</i> Species of fish

Argyrosomus regius, also known as the meagre, croaker, jewfish, shade-fish, sowa, kir, corvina, salmon-bass or stone bass, is a species of fish of the family Sciaenidae. This large fish has a pearly-silver to brownish coloration and a yellow-coloured mouth. It is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

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

Cynoscion acoupa, the acoupa weakfish, blacktail basher or grey snapper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This fish is found in the western Atlantic.

<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">Porgy fishing</span> Type of fish

Porgy is the common name in Australia for any fish which belongs to the family Sparidae. They are also called bream. Porgies live in shallow temperate marine waters and are bottom-dwelling carnivores. Most species possess grinding, molar-like teeth. They are often good eating fish, particularly the gilt-head bream and the dentex.

<i>Cynoscion</i> Genus of fishes

Cynoscion is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family, Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. These fishes are found off the coasts of North and South America in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans. Many fishes in this genus have been given the common name weakfish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden grey mullet</span> Species of fish

The golden grey mullet is a fish in the family Mugilidae.

<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>Orthopristis chrysoptera</i> Species of fish

Orthopristis chrysoptera, the pigfish, hogfish, piggy perch, redmouth grunt or sailor's choice, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grunt belonging to the family Haemulidae. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean. This name derives from the grunting or chattering noise these fish make by rubbing their pharyngeal teeth together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver seatrout</span> Fish species

The silver seatrout, also known as white trout, sugar trout, and silver weakfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sciaenidae, the drums and croakers. This fish is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

References

  1. Chao, L.; Espinosa-Perez, H. & Barbieri, L. (2020). "Cynoscion nebulosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T193266A82666764. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T193266A82666764.en . Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Cynoscion nebulosus" in FishBase. February 2023 version.
  3. 1 2 FishingTrips.com. "FishingTrips®". FishingTrips®. Retrieved 2023-03-20.
  4. Clarke, D.T. (2006). Fish: 77 Great Fish of North America. Illustrations by F. Ford, introduction by P. Kaminsky. Seymour, Connecticut: The Greenwich Workshop Press. pp. 76–77. ISBN   0867130954.
  5. 1 2 Horst, J. Speckled Trout Fact Sheet SeaGrant Louisiana. 2005 p. 1-2
  6. 1 2 3 Murphy, MD and McMichael, RH. Age determination and growth of spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus (Pisces: Sciaenidae). In Bortone, S.A., ed., Biology of the Spotted Seatrout. CRC Press, 2003 ISBN   1420040790
  7. DeVries, DA et al. The demographics and reproductive biology of spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, in six northwest Florida estuaries.In Bortone, S.A., ed., Biology of the Spotted Seatrout. CRC Press, 2003 ISBN   1420040790
  8. 1 2 Jenkins, J.A. Fish Bioindicators of Ecosystem Condition at the Calcasieu Estuary, Louisiana. USGS National Wetlands Research Center, Lafayette, LA. Open-File Report 2004-1323
  9. R. O. Anderson and R. M. Neumann, Length, Weight, and Associated Structural Indices, in Fisheries Techniques, second edition, B.E. Murphy and D.W. Willis, eds., American Fisheries Society, 1996.
  10. Monterey Bay Aquarium sustainable seafood report for Spotted Seatrout, October, 2011 [ permanent dead link ]
  11. North Carolina Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan. North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. March, 2010
  12. "Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission: Spotted Seatrout". Archived from the original on 2004-04-27. Retrieved 2009-06-30.