Weakfish

The weakfish, Cynoscion regalis, is a marine fishof the drum family Sciaenidae.

The head and back of this fish are dark brown in color with a greenish tinge. The sides have a faint silvery hue with dusky specks, and the belly is white. The origin of its name is based on the weakness of the mouth muscles, which often cause a hook to tear free, allowing the fish to escape. The weakfish grows to 1 m (3 feet) in length and 8.7 kg (19 pounds 2 ounces) in weight. It is found along the eastern coast of North America from Nova Scotia, Canada to northernFlorida, where it is fished both commercially and recreationally.

In the mid-Atlantic states, the fish is sometimes referred to by the name Sea Trout, though it is not related to the fishes properly called Trout, which are in the family Salmonidae. In New England it is also known as the Squeteague.

The weakfish is the state fish of Delaware.

[edit]Life cycle

Weakfish are a migratory species occurring along the Atlantic coast of North America from Nova Scotia to Florida. When water temperatures rise in the spring, the mature fish migrate north and inshore to the spawning grounds. In these near shore and estuarine areas between March and September, mature females produce large quantities of eggs that are fertilized by mature males as they are released into the water. Females continuously produce eggs during the spawning season and release them over a period of time rather than once. In the fall, an offshore and southerly migration of adults, coinciding with declining water temperatures, brings the mature weakfish back to the wintering grounds.

As larval weakfish grow into juveniles, they stay in nursery areas until October to December of their first year, after which they migrate to the coast. Growth in weakfish is especially rapid in the first year and they mature at a young age. Size at age one is variable but most fish are ten to eleven inches long. As adults, weakfish are often found near the periphery of eelgrass beds, perhaps because weakfish feed primarily on shrimp, other crustaceans, and small fish that are found near these grass beds.^[1]

[edit]Management

Weakfish stocks have been low in recent years due to fishing and natural mortality increasing. Management of the species includes gear regulations, seasonal fishing, bycatch limitations, minimum size limits, and bycatch reduction gear. It is hopeful that these regulations incorporated with others will help weakfish populations come back to a sustainable point.