The
weakfish,
Cynoscion regalis, is a marine
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
of the drum family
SciaenidaeSciaenidae is a family of fish commonly called drums, croakers, or hardheads for the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they make...
.
The head and back of this fish are dark brown in color with a greenish tinge. The sides have a faint silvery hue with dusky specks, and the belly is white. The origin of its name is based on the weakness of the mouth muscles, which often cause a hook to tear free, allowing the fish to escape. The weakfish grows to 1 m (3 feet) in length and 8.7 kg (19 pounds 2 ounces) in weight.
The
weakfish,
Cynoscion regalis, is a marine
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
of the drum family
SciaenidaeSciaenidae is a family of fish commonly called drums, croakers, or hardheads for the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they make...
.
The head and back of this fish are dark brown in color with a greenish tinge. The sides have a faint silvery hue with dusky specks, and the belly is white. The origin of its name is based on the weakness of the mouth muscles, which often cause a hook to tear free, allowing the fish to escape. The weakfish grows to 1 m (3 feet) in length and 8.7 kg (19 pounds 2 ounces) in weight. It is found along the eastern coast of North America from
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to northern
FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
, where it is fished both commercially and recreationally.
In the mid-Atlantic states, the fish is sometimes referred to by the name Sea Trout, though it is not related to the fishes properly called Trout, which are in the family Salmonidae.
The weakfish is the
state fish of
DelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The state takes its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, a British nobleman and Virginia's first colonial governor, after whom Cape Henlopen was originally named.Delaware is located in...
.
Life Cycle
Weakfish are a migratory species occurring along the Atlantic coast of North
America from Nova Scotia to Florida. When water temperatures rise in the spring, the mature fish migrate north and inshore to the spawning grounds. In these near shore and estuarine areas between March and September, mature females produce large quantities of eggs that are fertilized by mature
males as they are released into the water. Females continuously produce eggs
during the spawning season and release them over a period of time rather than once. In
the fall, an offshore and southerly migration of adults, coinciding with declining water
temperatures, brings the mature weakfish back to the wintering grounds.
As larval weakfish grow into juveniles, they stay in nursery areas until October to December
of their first year, after which they migrate to the coast. Growth in weakfish is
especially rapid in the first year and they mature at a young age. Size at
age one is variable but most fish are ten to eleven inches long. As adults, weakfish are
often found near the periphery of eelgrass beds, perhaps because weakfish feed primarily
on shrimp, other crustaceans, and small fish that are found near these grass beds.
Management
Weakfish stocks have been low in recent years due to fishing and natural mortality increasing. Management of the species includes gear regulations, seasonal fishing, bycatch limitations, minimum size limits, and bycatch reduction gear. It is hopeful that these regulations incorporated with others will help weakfish populations come back to a sustainable point.