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Cynoscion nebulosus  (Cuvier, 1830)

Spotted weakfish
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2100
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Cynoscion nebulosus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Cynoscion nebulosus (Spotted weakfish)
Cynoscion nebulosus
Picture by Flescher, D.


United States (contiguous states) country information

Common names: Seatrout, Speckled trout, Spotted seatrout
Occurrence: native
Salinity: brackish
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: minor commercial | Ref: FAO, 1992
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: protected | Ref:
Uses: gamefish: yes;
Comments: Fishing is increasingly restricted as more resources are reserved for recreational fisheres (Ref. 9988). Also Ref. 26938.
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
National Fisheries Authority: https://www.nmfs.gov
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray, 1986
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers)
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Main reference

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); common length : 36.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3702); max. published weight: 7.9 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 18 years (Ref. 12193)

Length at first maturity
Lm ?  range ? - 35 cm

Environment

Marine; brackish; demersal; non-migratory (Ref. 94474); depth range 10 - ? m (Ref. 9988)

Climate / Range

Subtropical, preferred 23°C (Ref. 107945); 42°N - 15°N, 83°W - 70°W (Ref. 94474)

Distribution

Western Atlantic: New York to southern Florida in USA and the entire Gulf of Mexico. Northeastern Atlantic: recently reported from Guadalquivir River estuary in Spain (Ref. 94474).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 9 - 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 25-28; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 10 - 11. Body silvery, dark grey on back with bluish reflections and numerous round black spots irregularly scattered on upper half, extending to dorsal and caudal fin. Spinous dorsal fin dusky, other fins pale to yellowish. Mouth large, oblique lower jaw projecting. Upper jaw with a pair of large canine-like teeth at tip. Lower jaw with an enlarged inner row of teeth, uniform in size and closely set. Chin without barbels or pores. Snout with 2 marginal pores. Gas bladder with a pair of nearly straight horn-like appendages. Soft portion of dorsal fin unscaled (Ref 51721).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabits river estuaries and shallow coastal marine waters over sand bottoms, often associated with seagrass beds. Also occurs in salt marshes and tidal pools of high salinity. Feeds mainly on crustaceans and fishes. An important food and sport fish throughout its range. Utilized fresh for steaming, broiling and baking (Ref. 9988).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Threat to humans

  Harmless



Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

More information

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion
Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Download XML

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.0   ±0.66 se; Based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.2-0.3; tmax=18; tm=1; Fec=1 million)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
High vulnerability (58 of 100)
Price category (Ref. 80766)
Medium