Carcharinus limbatus
: Blacktip Shark
Description: Dark gray to grayish brown or grayish blue coloration with white or yellow-
white underside and black pectoral fin tips. Length up to 2.4 m., weighing about 31 kg. at 1.7
m. length.
Range: Tropical and subtropical inshore and offshore waters worldwide. In the western Atlantic, southern Brazil to North Carolina and as strays off the coast up to southern New England.
Life History Traits: Fast swimmers, often appearing in schools at the surface. Live- bearers, with 3 - 6 young born in the spring. Young are about 60 cm. long at birth.
Raja eglanteria
: Clearnose Skate
Description: Light and dark brown coloration with brown spots and bars above and a white
underbelly. Wide wing-like pectoral fins running the length of their bodies. Flat teeth for
grinding. Length up to 1 m., weighing about 3 kg. at 80 cm. length.
Range: Massachusetts Bay to Florida. Seasonally abundant from New York to Virginia. Found in shallow waters along beaches and out to depths of 120 m.
Life History Traits: Good eyesight and a snout with a sensitive sense of touch aid in nosing around in the seabed for food. Feed on crabs, shrimp, squid, and fish. Females release fertilized eggs in a leathery case, often called "sea purses" or "sailor's purses". Young are about 14 cm. long when they hatch, probably in the spring.
Rhinoptera bonasus
: Cownose Ray
Description: Light to dark brown coloration with white or yellow-white underside. Wide
wing-like pectoral fins running the length of their bodies. Flat teeth for grinding. Width up
to 2.1 m.
Range: Coastal waters from Cape Cod to Brazil, but nowhere very abundant.
Life History Traits: Good eyesight and a snout with a sensitive sense of touch aid these rays in nosing around in the seabed where they are said to stir up the bottom by flapping their wing-like pectoral fins. Feed on clams, oysters, other shellfish, worms, large snails, crabs, and lobsters. Occasionally sighted in large schools. Live-bearers, with newborn young probably about 35 cm. wide.
Dasyatis americana
: Southern Stingray
Description: Gray, brown, or brownish green coloration with a white underside and a gray
or white spot on centerline of snout immediately in front of eyes. Width up to 1.5 m.,
weighing about 26 kg. at 90 cm. wide.
Range: Coastal waters from Brazil to New Jersey, but only as stragglers north of North Carolina. Usually found in shoal areas.
Life History Traits: Good eyesight and a snout with a sensitive sense of touch aid in nosing around in the seabed for food. Feed on crabs, clams, shrimp, worms, and small fish. Live- bearers, with newborn young probably about 20 cm. wide.
Megalops atlanticus
: Tarpon
Description: Silver colored. Huge mouth, jutting lower jaw, a single short dorsal fin, and a
deeply forked tail with pelvic fins located far back on the body. Averages 1.5 m. long and 11
- 22 kg., but may reach 2.4 m. long and 140 kg.
Range: Mostly in open seas from Brazil to Nova Scotia, but rare north of Cape Hatteras. Common around Puerto Rico, where it apparently breeds.
Life History Traits: Nicknamed the "silver king" for its flashing silver scales and the spectacular leaps it often makes out of the water when hooked. An extremely strong fast swimmer.
Auguilla rostrata
: American Eel
Description: Brown to olive brown coloration above, sides tinged with yellow, belly a dirty
white. Long snake-like body. Females up to about 120 cm. long, males rarely over 30 cm.
long.
Range: Open ocean, estuaries, freshwater rivers, creeks, and ponds, depending on life stage (see below).
Life History Traits: Like every other freshwater eel in the world, Auguilla rostrata spawns in deep water at the north edge of the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic. Females lay 10 - 20 million eggs. Adults die after spawning. Eggs hatch into transparent leaf-like larvae (leptocephali) commonly called glass eels. Larvae begin swimming with the ocean currents, instinctively homewards (Auguilla xxx, European eels, also hatch in the Sargasso but swim back to Europe) taking almost a year for the 1600 km. journey. By the time it reaches the coast, it is now a thick-bodied little eel, or elver. Males usually stay near river mouths while females continue upstream. Sometimes they slither through wet grass to get from one body of water to another. After several years the females head downstream, are joined by the males, and go back to the Sargasso Sea to spawn. Eels making their way into landlocked ponds and lakes may stay there for decades without ever spawning. Primarily a scavenger feeding mostly at night on any animal food, alive or dead. During the day mostly lies buried in the bottom, often with its head protruding.
Brevortia tyrannus
: Atlantic Menhaden
Description: Highly variable upper body coloration; green to blue, blue-gray, or brownish
blue. Sides and belly silvery with a large dark spot behind the upper margin of gill covers
followed by several dark spots arranged in irregular rows. Length up to 50 cm.
Range: Nova Scotia to eastern Florida to Brazil. Common near shore.
Life History Traits: Often seen near the surface of the water in large schools of thousands of fish. Feed chiefly on phytoplankton and small crustaceans sifted from the water with their highly specialized comb-like gill rakers. Spawns at sea; June-August in the northern part of its range, late autumn and winter in the southern part. A single female can lay over 140,000 eggs, which are buoyant and develop rapidly, usually hatching within 48 hours. Brevortia tyrannus is an important food species for other fish. Has little commercial value as a human food source but is industrially important for conversion to fish meal; the U.S. harvests over 500 million kg. per year.
Anchoa mitchilli
: Bay Anchovy
Description: Silvery translucent body. A poorly defined silver band narrower than the eye
runs the length of the body. Length up to 10 cm.
Range: Maine to Yucatan.
Life History Traits: Commonly found in large schools in shallow waters along the shore. Sometimes ascends into freshwater streams. Spawns May-August. Principle food is small shrimp-like animals. Anchoa mitchilli is an important food species for other fish.
Synodus foetens
: Inshore Lizardfish
Description: Oblong or cigar-shaped body almost round in cross-section with sandy
splotched coloration above to match the seafloor and silvery belly and sides. Distinctive
lizard-like head. Mouth is large and wide with needle-like teeth lining the jaws, tongue, and
roof of the mouth. Length up to 40 cm.
Range: Sandy bottoms fairly near to shore from Massachusetts to Brazil and in the Gulf of Mexico. Common.
Life History Traits: Sits on the sandy bottom and props itself up on its ventral fins. Feeds on small fish, crabs, shrimp, worms, and other small aquatic animals.
Opsanus tau
: Oyster Lizardfish
Description: Blotched and mottled coloration in drab shades of brown. Upward-directed
eyes on top of a large flat head. Body fleshy. Dorsal fin has 2 or 3 stout fins. Mouth is large
and fringed with wide fleshy flaps on both lips. Powerful jaws with strong blunt teeth.
Length up to 38 cm.
Range: Cape Cod to southern Florida and Cuba.
Life History Traits: Bottom-dweller that lurks in vegetation and debris in shallow water, commonly hiding under stones to dart out and seize prey. Feeds on mollusk, crustaceans, worms, and small fish. Spawns in late spring and summer. Adhesive eggs are laid under stones, logs, shells, in tin cans, etc. Male guards the eggs for about 3 weeks until they hatch.
Strongylura marina
: Atlantic Needlefish
Description: Long beak-like jaws and sharp teeth. Long thin body.
Range: Atlantic coast.
Life History Traits: Surface-dwelling, usually skittering over the water in small schools. Most active at night. Feed primarily on small fish.
Cyprinodon variegatus
: Sheepshead minnow
Description: Adult females and immature young are brassy olive colored with white or
yellowish bellies and irregular black vertical bars on the sides and a black spot on the rear
part of the dorsal fin. Adult males darker with only faint bars and no dorsal spot. Length
up to 8 cm.
Range: Cape Cod to Mexico in shallow brackish water of salt marshes, bays, and harbors where there is abundant vegetation.
Life History Traits: Swim in small schools. Feed on a wide variety of small plants and animals. Spawn April to September. Only a few eggs are laid at a time by a single female which will continue to lay a few eggs at a time at various intervals throughout the spawning season. Newly laid eggs have numerous sticky threads so as to become attached to surrounding objects and each other.
Lucania parvon
: Rainwater Killifish
Description: Dark olive colored with lighter sides. In males, the front edge of the dorsal fin
is black or has a black spot at the base and during breeding season the pelvic and anal fins
become orange-red. Length up to 6.4 cm.
Range: Cape Cod to Key West.
Life History Traits: Commonly found in small schools in brackish water bays, ponds, and creeks containing abundant vegetation. Spawns from April to July. Maximum number of eggs produced by a single female is reported at 104. Feed on small shrimp-like animals and probably any other small aquatic animals.
Fundulus heteroclitus
: Mummichog
Description: Large females are brown-green colored above, lighter on sides and belly.
Breeding males are more silvery on lower sides, yellow on belly, anal fins, ventral fins, and
edges of dorsal and caudal fins. Sides with 15 narrow silvery vertical bars and numerous
blue-white and yellowish spots. Both sexes have a black spot on the rear part of the dorsal
fin. Young have varying number of dark side bars. Length up to 13 cm. with females larger
than males.
Range: Shallow coastal waters from Labrador to Mexico, preferring brackish water but also found in fresh- and saltwater.
Life History Traits: Most often found in schools in weedy muddy places in marshes, bays, and river mouths. Very hardy with a remarkable ability to survive marked changes in temperature and salinity, to live in highly polluted water, and to live out of water for considerable time. Spawns April to August in heavily vegetated shallows. Young grow rapidly, reaching maturity in a year. Buries itself in the mud during the winter. Feeds voraciously on almost anything small enough. Important food of other fish. Used as sport bait for summer flounder(Paralichthys dentatus) and young bluefish/snappers (Pomatomus saltatrix).
Fundulus majalis
: Striped Killifish
Description: Adult males have olive colored backs, yellow sides, belly, and pectoral, pelvic,
and anal fins, 15-20 black vertical bars on the sides, and a black spot on the last rays of the
dorsal fin. Adult females are olive colored on their backs, silvery below, usually with 2 or 3
black longitudinal stripes on sides. Young have 7-12 vertical black bars. Length up to 20
cm.
Range: Protected waters of bays and river mouths from Massachusetts to Florida.
Life History Traits: Usually forms schools of several hundred fish. Spawns April to September. Feeds on shellfish, small shrimp-like organisms, fish, and a variety of other small aquatic animals.
Fundulus luciae
: Spotfin Killifish
Description: Adult females and young are gray-green colored above, paler below. Adult
males olive green colored above, belly orange-white, sides with 11-14 dark olive bars with a
black spot on the rear of the dorsal fin. Length up to 3.8 cm.
Range: New York to North Carolina. Not abundant anywhere.
Life History Traits: Lives in shallow brackish water together with mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus). Spawns April to October.
Gambusia affinis var. holbrooki
: Mosquitofish
Description: Olive colored above, with gray sides and pale bellies. Dusky markings on
scales of upper body form irregular dark dots. Females have a conspicuous black spot on
their bellies during the reproductive period. Length up to 6.5 cm. for females, but the males
are smaller and seldom reach 3.8 cm.
Range: New Jersey - Florida. Most common from the Chesapeake Bay south. Found abundantly in localized protected areas of both fresh and brackish water.
Life History Traits: Surface-feeders feeding on mosquito larvae. Live-bearers spawning from May to September, with the male transmitting packets of sperm to the female using a modified anal fin. Females may hold the sperm for several months to fertilize several broods of young, anywhere from a few fish to over 200 in a brood. Newborn are 8 mm. long. Often introduced for mosquito control.
Menidia menidia
: Atlantic Silverside
Description: Greenish colored above, silvery on sides and below with a dark silvery band
on the side bound above by a narrow black line. Scales on upper sides and back have
many dark brown dots.
Range: Nova Scotia to the Chesapeake Bay in salt and brackish waters in protected bays, coves, and river mouths, usually on sand or gravel bottoms.
Life History Traits: Particularly numerous in channels running through salt marshes, where large schools often swim near the surface. Spawns April to August. Eggs have sticky threads to adhere to bottom objects and themselves.
Monrone americana
: White Perch
Description: Olive, gray-green, or blackish coloration above, sides and belly silvery or
sometimes brassy. Pale longitudinal stripes on smaller fish, usually disappearing in larger
fish. Up to 40 cm. long and 1 kg. in weight.
Range: Nova Scotia to South Carolina. Most plentiful in brackish ponds, bays, and estuaries. Also often found in landlocked freshwater ponds.
Life History Traits: Spawns in spring in both brackish and freshwater, but in freshwater the average size decreases after several generations. Eggs adhesive and stick to anything, often in clumps. Feeds on small fish, crustaceans, and other small animals as well as fish eggs. Commercial species where abundant, especially in the Chesapeake Bay.
Centropristis striata
: Black Seabass
Description: Brown, dark gray, or blue-black coloration. Young under 7.5 cm. have a dark
brown or black stripe from eye to base of tail fin and frequently with hazy dark vertical
bands on sides. Adult males have a fatty hump on their backs in front of dorsal fin. Length
to over 60 cm. and weight to over 3.5 kg.
Range: Florida to Cape Cod and as a straggler to Maine, mostly in saltwater at depths from a meter or so to 128 m.
Life History Traits: In summer common inshore on rocky bottoms and near wharves and wrecks. Spawns in spring. Eggs buoyant. Older females regularly change sex and become fertile males. Feeds on bottom on crustaceans, shellfish, squid, and small fish. Important commercial species. with smaller inshore sizes and larger "deep sea" sizes.
Pomatomas saltatrix
: Bluefish
Description: Greenish coloration above, silvery below. Length up to 120 cm. and weight of
at least 12.25 kg.
Range: Irregularly distributed in warmer seas, both inshore and offshore. In western Atlantic, found from Argentina to Cape Cod and as a Straggler to Nova Scotia.
Life History Traits: Travels in large schools following schools of menhaden, mackerel, and other fish, upon which it relentlessly preys. Spawns in spring and summer, probably offshore. Young called "snappers" enter the protected coastal shoal waters in early spring and throughout the summer, then move offshore in autumn. Very abundant some years and scarce others. Important to both the commercial and recreational fishing industries.
Caranx latus
: Horse-eye Jack
Range: West Indian species reaching as far south as Brazil. Common on the east coast of
Panama. Found along the coast of the southern Atlantic states and occasionally as far
north as the Chesapeake Bay.
Eucinostomus argenteus
: Spotfin Mojarra
Bairdiella chrysoura
: Silver Perch
Description: Green or blue-gray coloration with lower sides and belly silvery. Length up to
30 cm. but usually less than 22 cm.
Range: New York to Texas. Adults more abundant from New Jersey south. Young less than 15 cm. long common in New York bays in summer.
Life History Traits: Spawns in spring and early summer. Eggs buoyant. Feeds mainly on small crustaceans, worms, and small fish.
Leiostomus xanthurus
: Spot
Description: Blue-gray colored with a golden glitter above, silvery below. Sides with 12-15
yellow oblique bars, indistinct in very large fish. Large yellow-black spot just behind upper
edge of gill slit. Length up to 35 cm. and weight to 0.7 kg., but most fish under 25 cm. and
between 110 g. and 150 g.
Range: Coastal waters from Texas to Cape Cod, and as rare strays to Massachusetts Bay. Common in salt and brackish water in protected bays, coves, and estuaries. Most numerous in the Chesapeake Bay area.
Life History Traits: Spawns in autumn and winter, probably offshore. Feeds on small crustaceans and worms, and to a lesser extent on small shellfish and fish. Major commercial species.
Micropogonius undulatus
: Atlantic Croaker
Description: Silvery green or gray colored above, silvery white below, with brownish
oblique wavy bars on back and sides, less distinct in larger fish. Length up to 50 cm. and
weight to 1.8 kg., but most usually less than 30 cm. and less than 0.5 kg.
Range: Texas to Cape Cod, but not common north of New Jersey.
Life History Traits: Found commonly on shallow sandy shoals in summer and offshore in deeper waters in winter. Spawns late summer to early winter. Feeds on the bottom on small crustaceans, shellfish, and worms. Both sexes able to produce croaking sounds. Abundance of this species has been drastically reduced in some areas in recent years. Important commercial species in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Cynoscion regalis
: Weakfish
Description: Greenish colored above, silvery below. Back and sides iridescent with a metallic glitter of
blue, green, purple, and gold. Upper sides have oblique wavy lines composed of blotches
of black, bronze, and dark green. Weight up to 14 kg., with a 75 cm. long fish weighing 4 to
4.5 kg.
Range: Florida to Massachusetts, straying north to the Bay of Fundy.
Life History Traits: Schools approach inshore waters in spring to spawn, with the bulk of the spawning occurring in the vicinity of the Chesapeake Bay. Eggs float. In autumn the fish move offshore, mostly off of the Chesapeake Bay and Cape Hatteras. Male can make a drumming sound by vibrating special thickened muscles in the belly wall against its air bladder. Feeds both at the bottom and upper water levels on a wide variety of prey, including shellfish, crustaceans, and small fishes. Formerly very abundant from North Carolina to Massachusetts, but recent populations have declined and large fishes now rare. Important commercially.
Sciaenops ocellata
: Red Drum
Description: Metallic greenish bronze coloration above, white below, with the scales on the
sides having dark centers and forming stripes. Usually one jet black spot at the base of the
tail fin, but sometimes several instead. Length up to 1.5 m. and weight to 35 kg.
Range: Sandy shores from Texas to New Jersey and rarely to New York and Cape Cod.
Life History Traits: Spawns in autumn and early winter in the Diamond Shoals area just south of Cape Hatteras. Feeds on crustaceans and shellfish. Named "red drum" because some fish turn reddish after death.
Menticirrhus saxatilis
: Northern Kingfish
Description: Dusky colored with a metallic silver glitter above, silvery below, with brown to
black oblique bars on sides running towards the rear and upwards except for two oblique
bars near head running forward and upward. The second of these anterior bars forms a
"V" with the first of the body bars. Length up to 43 cm. and weight to 1.4 kg.
Range: Florida to Cape Cod and straying north to Maine. Most common from the Chesapeake Bay to New York.
Life History Traits: Found in small schools near ocean beaches and in bays and estuaries, usually on sandy bottoms. Spawns in protected waters of the bays in late spring and summer. Eggs buoyant. Bottom feeder feeding on crustaceans, small shellfish, worms, and young fish. Important commercially.
Tautogolabris adspersus
: Cunner
Description: Coloration varies with the environment; brown, black-brown, olive green, blue,
reddish, or a mixture of these colors. Length up to 38 cm. and weight to just over 1 kg.
Range: Newfoundland to New Jersey and as a straggler south to the Chesapeake Bay.
Life History Traits: Abundant coastal species commonly found around rocks, wrecks, and the pilings of wharves and bridges. Also frequents wrecks and rocky ledges offshore. Spawns spring and early summer. Eggs buoyant. Feeds on a wide variety of prey including invertebrates, small fish, eel grass, and is also an avid scavenger. Formerly an important commercial fish in New England but now few are landed.
Mugil cephalus
: Striped Mullet
Description: Blue-gray and green coloration above, silvery below. Scales on sides with
dusky centers forming longitudinal lines along sides. Bluish spot at base of pectoral fin.
Length to 75 cm. but seldom over 30 cm.
Range: Temperate and warm water in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and parts of the Pacific.
In western Atlantic from Brazil to Cape Cod and as a straggler up to Nova Scotia. Common in the mid-atlantic and Chesapeake Bay regions, particularly in the smaller sizes.
Life History Traits: Often in large schools near the surface. When frightened, will leap from the water in a "follow-the-leader" fashion. Spawns offshore in late autumn and winter. Young come into shore when about 2.5 cm. long and at this stage are shiny silver and very unlike adults in appearance. Feeds on algae mostly and also plankton. Important commercially.
Mugil curema
: White Mullet
Description: Coloration dark green above, sides silvery, belly paler. Bluish-black spot at
the base of the pectoral fins. Length to 90 cm. but usually less than 35 cm.
Range: Warm and temperate seas. In the western Atlantic from Cape Cod to Brazil. Life History Traits: Common inshore species, often in large schools near the surface.
When frightened, will leap from the water in a "follow-the-leader" fashion. Spawns offshore in the spring. Young come into shore when about 2.5 cm. long. Feeds on algae mostly and also plankton. Important commercially.
Gobiosoma bosci
: Naked Goby
Description: Greenish-dusky colored above, pale below, with narrow pale crossbars on
sides. Length up to 6.5 cm.
Range: Massachusetts to Florida. Locally abundant in protected waters close to shore. Commonly found in brackish water but sometimes in freshwater as well.
Life History Traits: Spawns during spring and summer. Eggs are sticky when first laid and heavier than water. Feeds mostly on small invertebrates.
Prionotus carolinus
: Northern Searobin
Description: Red-brown or gray coloration above, with 5 dark saddle-like blotches along
the back, pale yellow or white below. Black spot between the 4th and 5th spines of the 1st
dorsal fin. Head is large and spiny with a distinctive black chin. The older the fish, the more
worn the spines. The pectoral fins are split, soft in upper portion, stiff in lower portion. The
spiny dorsal fin is triangular, the soft dorsal fin and anal fins are long and continuous.
Length to 43 cm.
Range: Nova Scotia to South America.
Life History Traits: Most common searobin in the Chesapeake Bay and one of the largest. The soft rays of the upper portion of the pectoral fins are used for swimming while the three spike-like stiff lower rays are used to probe the seafloor for food, and sometimes for "walking" along the bottom. Common inshore in summer but moves offshore in winter. Spawns in spring and summer. Eggs buoyant and in water at 22 degrees Celsius hatch in 60 hours.
Etropus microstomus
: Smallmouth Flounder
Description: Both eyes on the same side. Eyed-side is light brown mottled with darker
brown. Blind side is white. Length up to about 15 cm.
Range: New York to Virginia and possibly farther south. Locally common in summertime in shallow waters adjacent to beaches and in bays and harbors.
Paralichthys dentatus
: Summer Flounder
Description: Both eyes on the same side. Eyed-side's coloration is variable, commonly
brown or gray, most with dark spots surrounded by white margins. Blind side is white.
Length up to about 120 cm. and about 14 kg.
Range: Maine to South Carolina, most common south of Cape Cod.
Life History Traits: Found on the continental shelf at depths of 45 to 150 meters during the winter and early spring. In late spring and summer large numbers move inshore close to beaches and also enter bays and harbors. Spawns late autumn to early spring. Feeds principally on small fish, crustaceans, and shellfish. Active and predacious, it will follow small fish to the surface and jump clear of the water in the excitement of the chase. Important commercially.
Trinectes maculatus
: Hogchoker
Description: Both eyes on the same side. Eyed-side is gray-green to dark brown with a
varying number of dark bars, usually 7-8, extending from the dorsal to anal fins and with a
dark longitudinal stripe along lateral line. Blind side is dirty white, usually with dark spots
variable in size and number. Length up to about 20 cm.
Range: Massachusetts Bay to Panama, common from Cape Cod to Virginia, but most abundant from Virginia south.
Life History Traits: Bottom species commonly found in shallow brackish waters of bays and estuaries. Spawns in late spring and summer. A 16.5 cm. long female is estimated to produce 54,000 eggs at one spawning. Fish 5-8 cm. long are one year old. Feeds chiefly on worms and small crustaceans.
Symphurus plagiusa
: Blackcheek Tonguefish
Description: Both eyes on the same side. Eyed-side is brownish with 6-7 dark crossbars.
Blind side is white. Length up to about 20 cm.
Range: Gulf Coast of Florida to North Carolina and as a straggler north to the Chesapeake Bay.
Sphoeroides maculatus
: Northern Puffer
Description: Coloration is dusky, brown, or olive green above, yellow or orange on the
sides, white on the belly. Six to eight indefinite vertical dark bands on sides. Length to 35
cm.
Range: Cape Cod to Florida and as strays into the Gulf of Mexico. Abundant inshore species common in shoal waters on sandy shores.
Life History Traits: When frightened, regularly inflates by gulping water or, when taken out, air. Frequently burrows in the sand, at which time only the eyes and a small part of upper surface of the head are visible. Spawns in spring and summer. Principle foods are small crustaceans and shell fish. Formerly of no commercial importance, but recently marketed once sandpaper-like skin removed as "sea squab".
Jordan, David Starr & Barton Warren Evermann. 1923. American Food and Game Fishes. Dover Publications, Inc., New York.
Perlmulter, Alfred. 1961. Guide to Marine Fishes. New York University Press, New York.
Wilson, Josleen. 1991. North American Fish. The National Audubon Society collection nature series. Gramercy Books, New York.