72 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
The gray weakfish or, as it is commonly called in more southern localities, the 
gray trout ( Cynoscion regalis ) is the common commercial fish of the Atlantic coast. 
The individuals comprising the commercial catch, or the vast majority of them, 
seem to belong to one species; at least now they are generally so regarded. As to 
the geographic distribution of this species, it is significant that authors generally 
have failed to record it from the Gulf coast, especially those who reported on ex- 
tensive collections from that coast. Jordan and Eigenmann (Report, U. S. Fish 
Commission, 1886, p. 367) record it from Mobile based on material (the number of 
specimens not stated) in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. 
This is the only direct record of regalis from the Gulf that is known to me. In the 
literature Cuvier and Valenciennes generally are quoted as authority for including 
the Gulf coast in the range of regalis, but the statement on which this supposed 
record is based is as follows (Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, Tome 5, quarto ed., 
1830, p. 53): “Les colons francais de la Nouvelle-Orleans le possedent aussi, et lui 
ont transfere le nom de truite, a cause de ses taches.” This statement obviously refers 
to the spotted weakfish, since this is the only species of Cynoscion on the Gulf coast 
having well-defined spots. 
A third form that is at present recognized is Cynoscion nothus. This was described 
originally from the coast of South Carolina and has since been recorded from Chesa- 
peake Bay to the southwestern coast of Texas. There is difference of opinion as to 
the status of this species. Welsh and Breder, as quoted above, doubt the real dis- 
tinctiveness of this form from regalis. On the other hand, Hildebrand and Schroeder 
(Bulletin, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, Vol. XLIII, Pt. I, p. 300), who had two speci- 
mens of this species from Chesapeake Bay, state: “ * * * the differences between 
a true nothus, such as we believe to have in hand now, and a regalis are so evident 
and so numerous * * *.” Jordan and Gilbert (Proceedings, U. S. National 
Museum, Vol. V, 1882, p. 607) are the only authors known to me who record this 
species as being common on the Atlantic coast — namely, at Charleston, S. C. Inci- 
dentally, it may be stated that the description of the species given by these authors 
is probably the best extant, because it is evidently based on abundant material com- 
prising specimens of this species only and not a mixture of individuals of different 
species. As to the occurrence of this form on the Gulf coast, nearly all authors 
who have worked over the fishes from that coast, especially those who have studied 
the fisheries and hence have dealt with masses of individuals, have referred the pale 
weakfish of the Gulf to nothus. 
Finally, a fourth species has been described under the name of thalassinus. 
This species was first described by Holbrook (Ichthyology of South Carolina, 1855, 
p. 132, pi. 18, fig. 2) from a “few specimens” taken off the coast of South Carolina. 
Gunther (Catalogue of Fishes of the British Museum, vol. 2, 1860, p. 308), who had 
a single specimen of the pale weakfish from the Gulf coast, doubtfully referred it 
to thalassinus. Jordan and Eigenmann (op. cit.) have picked out three specimens 
from those studied by them — two from the Gulf and one from the Atlantic coast — 
and referred them to thalassinus. These authors state: “As C. regalis is subject to 
considerable variation, we have regarded C. thalassinus as an extreme form or variety 
rather than a distinct species. It may, perhaps, be found to inhabit a different 
depth of water than that which the common weakfish frequents.” Jordan and Gil- 
bert (Bulletin, U. S. National Museum, No. 16, 1882, p. 582) call it “a doubtful 
species.” Welsh and Breder (op. cit., p. 148) state that “Cynoscion thalassinus 
