SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 



311 



Mr. S. G. Worth reports that a "trout numb" occurred at Beaufort during 

 the last week in November, 1903; on the 27th the weather became cold very 

 suddenly, and on the 28th many gray trout were picked up by numerous fisher- 

 men, the fish floating or on the shores and just able to move their fins. One 

 boat with 2 men secured 900 pounds. 



Menhaden and small school fishes generally are preyed on by the weak-fisJi, 

 which is an extremely voracious species. Crabs, shrimps, annelids^ and various 

 other invertebrates are also eaten. 



The spawning season is in late spring or early summer. The eggs are 

 buoyant, very numerous, and about .036 inch in diameter, and hatch in 2 days 

 in water of 60° F. 



270. CYNOSCION NEBULOSUS (Cuvier & Valenciennes). 



"Trout"; "Speckled Trout"; "Sea Trout"; "Salmon Trout"; "Black Trout"; 

 "Salmon"; Spotted Weak-fish; Spotted Squeteague; Southern Squeteague. 



Otolilhus nebulosus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, v, 79, 1830. 

 Cynoscion carolinensis. Yarrow, 1877, 209; Beaufort. Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 377; Beaufort. 

 C2/noscion7?iacuZa<u7n, Goode, 1884, 365: North Carolina. Jordan, 1886, 28; Beaufort. Earll, 1887, 486, 493; 



Beaufort, Morehead, and coast near Wilmington. Jenkins, 1887, 91; Beaufort. Wilson, 1900, 355; 



Beaufort. 

 Cynoscion nebulosus, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 1409, pi. ccxxi, fig. 563. Linton, 1905, 385; Beaufort. 



Fig. 139. Spotted Squeteague; Southern Squeteague. Cynoscion nebulosus. 



Diagnosis. — Body elongate, somewhat compressed, depth contained 4.5 times in length; 

 head large, contained 3.5 times in length; maxillary extending to posterior border of orbit; 

 snout long, sharp, contained 3.75 times in head; eye .14 to .16 head; gill-rakers short and 

 thick, longest not longer than pupil, 11 in number, 7 on arm of arch; scales in lateral series 

 70 to 75, in transverse series 20; dorsal rays x+i,25 (to 27), longest spines less than .5 head; 

 caudal slightly concave. Color: silvery, back darker and marked posteriorly by numerous 

 round black spots; caudal and dorsal fins similarly spotted, {nebulosus, clouded.) 



While the spotted weak-fish is found from New York to Texas, it is rare 

 north of Chesapeake Bay, from which region southward it begins to replace the 

 other species, Cynoscion regalis. It swims in schools, and preys on all kinds of 

 small fishes, and is itself eaten by blue-fish, drum, and northern squeteague. 

 The average weight is 3 to 4 pounds, but larger fish are common and a weight 



