376 Spotted Sea Trout 



Size: Reaches a weight of 30 pounds. A fish 2^/4 feet long 

 weighs 9-10 pounds. 



General Information: The Weakfish was formerly very 

 abundant from North Carolina as far north as Massachu- 

 setts. In recent years it has declined in abundance and 

 larger fish have become rare. Schools of this species ap- 

 proach the inshore waters in spring to spawn. While some 

 spawning occurs in the northern part of the range of this 

 fish, the bulk of the successful spawning seems to take 

 place in the vicinity of Chesapeake Bay. The eggs float. 

 In the autumn the fish leave the inshore waters and most 

 of them move south to offshore waters in the vicinity of 

 Chesapeake Bay and Cape Hatteras. The male Weakfish 

 can make a drumming sound by vibrating the special 

 thickened muscles in the belly wall against the air bladder. 

 The Weakfish feeds both on the bottom and in the upper 

 levels of the water and eats a wide variety of animals in- 

 cluding shellfish, crustaceans, and small fishes. 

 Economic Importance: The Weakfish is one of the impor- 

 tant species in the commercial fisheries of the Chesapeake 

 and Middle Atlantic regions. It is a popular game fish and 

 will readily rise to the surface of the water in pursuit of 

 a moving bait or artificial lure. 



Spotted Sea Trout, Spotted Weakfish 

 Cynoscion nebulosus (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 



Color: Dark gray above with a metallic blue glitter; silvery 

 below. Numerous black spots on upper part of sides and 

 on the dorsal and caudal fins. 



Distribution: Found from Texas to New York but uncom- 

 mon north of Delaware. 

 Size: The largest fish recorded weighed 16 pounds. A fish 



