Cynoscion nebulosus
Illustrations and Copyright by Diane Rome Peebles
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Description: dark gray or green
above, with sky blue tinges shading to silvery and
white below; numerous distinct round black spots on
back, extending to the dorsal fins and tail; black
margin on posterior of tail; no barbels; no scales
on the soft dorsal fin; one or two prominent canine
teeth usually present at tip of upper jaw.
Similar Fish: other seatrouts.
Where found: INSHORE and/or NEARSHORE
over grass, sand and sandy bottoms; move into slow-moving
or still, deep waters in cold weather.
Size: common to 4 pounds on west
coast, larger on east coast.
*Florida Record: 15 lbs., 6 ozs.
Remarks: matures during first or
second year and spawns INSHORE from March through
November; often in association with seagrass beds;
lives mainly in estuaries and moves only short distances;
adults feed mainly on shrimp and small fish; prefers
water temperatures between 58 and 81 degrees F and
may be killed if trapped in shallow water during cold
weather; longevity 8 to 10 years.
If you wanted to nickname
a fish the "comeback kid" the spotted seatrout
would be the leading candidate. Until two years ago,
the numbers of trout being caught was on the decline.
But, on July 1, 1995, Florida's newest constitutional
amendment took effect and most commercial nets were
banned form the state's coastal waters. Since then there
has been a renaissance in trout fishing. Anglers report
catching the fish on a year round basis and in more
numbers than previous years.
Spotted seatrout spawn from spring
through the summer in the estuaries along both coasts.
As juveniles, the fish live secret lives hidden among
sea grass beds. Once they mature, the fish seldom
move far from where they spawned. Females live for
6-8 years and males live 5-8 years.
