Tautog, Cunner 393 



Tautog, Blackfish 

 Tautoga onitis (Linnaeus) 



Color: Brown, black, or greenish black above and on sides; 

 belly paler. Irregular blackish blotches or bars on the sides 

 of smaller fish, frequently disappearing in larger fish. 

 Distribution: Nova Scotia to South Carolina, but most 

 common south of Cape Cod to Delaware. 

 Size: Grows to a length of about 3 feet and a weight of 

 22 pounds, but fish over 11 pounds are not common. 

 General Information: This species is common on rocky 

 shores and musselbeds, near wrecks, and around piers in 

 company with the cunner. Spawning occurs in spring and 

 early summer. The eggs are buoyant. The Tautog feeds on 

 a wide variety of invertebrates, especially mussels, barna- 

 cles, and crabs. 



Economic Importance: A good food fish marketed in mod- 

 erate quantities. The Tautog is a favorite of the shore and 

 small-boat angler and one of the species regularly taken 

 by the recreational "deep-sea" fisheries of New York and 

 New Jersey. 



Cunner, Bergall 

 Tautogolabrus adspersus (Walbaum) 



Color: Varies with the environment; brown, black-brown, 

 olive green, blue, or reddish, or a mixture of these colors. 



