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Atlantic Croaker |Black Drum | Red Drum | Sand Seatrout
Silver Perch | Silver Seatrout | Spotted Seatrout | Weakfish
Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus)
| Description: inferior mouth; 3 to 5 pairs of small
barbels on chin; silver-gray or bronze body with dark oblique wavy bars or lines;
iridescent especially on head; preopercle strongly serrated.
Similar fish: spot, Leiostomus xanthurus (has no chin barbels and has a dark blotch on
shoulder). |
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| Where found: generally found north of Tampa Bay on
the west coast, and north of Cape Canaveral on the east coast; young fish found in
estuaries; older fish (2 to 3 years) inhabit deep OFFSHORE waters during the winter months
and move into bays and estuaries during the spring, summer, and fall.
Size: usually less than 2 pounds. |
Remarks: during spawning becomes bronze or yellow
in color; spawning apparently occurs OFFSHORE in fall; longevity 2 to 4 years. |
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Black Drum (Pogonias cromis)
| Description: high arched back; 10 to 14 pairs of
chin barbels; gray or black colored body in adults; young have 4 to 6 vertical bars; has
cobblestone-like teeth capable of crushing oysters; scales large.
Similar fish: the
vertical bars on juvenile black drum are somewhat similar to those on sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus; spadefish, Chaetodipterus faber; red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus. |
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| Where found: INSHORE fish common to bays and
lagoons; bottom dweller often found around oyster beds; also OFFSHORE.
Size: common
to 30 pounds. |
Remarks: largest member of the drum family; spawns
NEARSHORE in winter and early spring; feeds on oysters, mussels, oysters, crabs, shrimp,
and occasionally fish; longevity to 35 or more years.
Florida record 93 lbs. |
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Red Drum a.k.a. Redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus)
| Description: chin without barbels; copper-bronze
body, lighter shade in clear waters; one to many spots at base of tail (rarely no spots);
mouth horizontal and opening downward; scales large.
Similar fish: black drum, Pogonias cromis. |
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| Where found: juveniles are an INSHORE fish,
migrating out of the estuaries at about 30 inches (4 years) and joining the spawning
population OFFSHORE.
Size: one of 27 inches weighs about 8
pounds. |
Remarks: red drum are an INSHORE species
until they attain roughly 30 inches (4 years), then migrate to join the NEARSHORE
population; spawning occurs from August to November in NEARSHORE waters; sudden cold
snaps may kill red drum in shallow, INSHORE waters; feeds on crustaceans, fish, and
mollusks; longevity to 20 years or more.
Florida record 51 lbs., 8 ozs. |
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Sand Seatrout (Cynoscion arenarius)
| Description: pale body color; yellow above, silver
to white below; one or two prominent canine teeth usually at the tip of upper jaw; inside
of mouth yellow; no well-defined black spots on back; 10 to 12 soft rays in anal fin; no
chin barbels.
Similar fish: silver
seatrout, C. nothus. |
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| Where found: a Gulf species, that may occur in the
Atlantic waters of extreme south-eastern Florida; adults predominantly found INSHORE
residing in bays and inlets, but may move OFFSHORE during winter months; young occur
INSHORE in shallow bays.
Size: usually less than 1 pound (10 to
12 inches). |
Remarks: matures during first or second year;
prolonged INSHORE spawning season extends through spring and summer; feeds mainly on small
fish and shrimp. |
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Silver Perch a.k.a. Yellowtail (Bairdiella
chrysoura)
| Description: color silvery with yellowish fins; no
spots; no chin barbels; no prominent canine teeth at tip of upperjaw; preopercle finely
serrated; 5 to 6 chin pores; mouth terminal.
Similar fish: sand seatrout, Cynoscion arenarius (the seatrouts usually
have 1 or 2 prominent canine teeth at tip of upper jaw and do not have chin pores). |
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| Where found: INSHORE in seagrass beds, tidal creeks
and rivers, and marshes.
Size: small, not exceeding 9 inches. |
Remarks: spawning takes place in shallow, saline
portions of bays and other INSHORE areas, peaking between May and September; matures by
second or third year (by 6 inches); adults eat crustaceans and small fishes; may live to 6
years. |
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Silver Seatrout (Cynoscion nothus)
| Description: pale straw colored above, silvery
sides and white below; no distinctive pigmentation, although faint diagonal lines may be
present on upper body; 8 to 9 rays in the anal fin; large eyes; short snout; one to two
prominent canine teeth usually present at the tip of upper jaw; lower half of tail longer
than upper half.
Similar fish: other seatrouts. |
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| Where found: most common over sand or sandy mud bottoms
OFFSHORE along both the Gulf and the Atlantic coasts of Florida; migrates into bays during
cold months.
Size: usually no more than 1/2 pound (less than 10
inches), |
Remarks: smallest seatrout; spawns OFFSHORE in deep
water during spring, summer, and fall; feeds on small fish and shrimp. |
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Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus)
| Description: dark gray or green above, with
sky-blue tinges shading to silvery and white below; numerous distinct round black spots on
back, extending to the dorsal fins and tail; black margin on posterior of tail; no
barbels; no scales on the soft dorsal fin; one or two prominent canine teeth usually
present at tip of upper jaw.
Similar fish: other seatrout. |
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| Where found: INSHORE and/or NEARSHORE over grass,
sand, and sandy mud bottoms; move into slow-moving or still, deep waters in cold weather.
Size: common to 4 pounds on west coast, larger on east coast. |
Remarks: matures during first or second year and spawns
INSHORE from March through November, often in association with seagrass beds; lives mainly
in estuaries and moves only short distances; adults feed mainly on shrimp and small fish;
prefers water temperatures between 58 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit, and may be killed if
trapped in shallow water during cold weather; longevity 8 to 10 years.
Florida
record 15 lbs., 6 ozs. |
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Weakfish (Cynoscion regalis)
| Description: dark olive or blue-green back; sides
covered in tones of blue, purple, lavender, gold, and copper; irregular diagonal rows of
vaguely-defined dark spots appear above the lateral line; 1 to 2 prominent canine teeth
usually present at tip of upper jaw; black margin on tip of the tongue; pelvic and anal
fins yellow; pectoral fins olive on outside, yellow underneath; mouth yellow inside.
Similar
fish: other seatrouts. |
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| Where found: an Atlantic coast fish, possibly found
in the extreme southeastern Gulf; adults move INSHORE and north during warm months
inhabiting the surf, inlets, bays, channels, and estuaries; adults move OFFSHORE and south
during cold month; juveniles inhabit estuaries which serve as nurseries.
Size: 2 to 3 pounds. |
Remarks: may mature as early as age 1; spawns in
NEARSHORE or estuarine areas between April and October; schooling fish; feeds primarily on
shrimp and fish.
Florida record 10 lbs. |
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