Species profiles: Life histories and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (Mid-Atlantic)

Technical Report · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5479645· OSTI ID:5479645

Mercer, L. P. ^[1]

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1. North Carolina Div. of Marine Fisheries, Morehead City, NC (USA)

Species profiles are literature summaries of the taxonomy, morphology, range, life, history, and environmental requirements of coastal aquatic species. They are designed to assist in environmental impact assessment. Weakfish are one of the most abundant fishes in the estuarine and nearshore waters of the Atlantic coast. Weakfish mature at age I throughout their range and spawning takes place in coastal and estuarine waters from March to September. Juveniles utilize the deeper areas within estuarine as nursery grounds, migrate from high to low salinity areas throughout the summer, return to high salinity areas in fall, and most leave the estuaries by late fall. Some may remain in estuarine and nearshore coastal waters in winter, particularly in southern areas. Adult weakfish migrate seasonally, north in spring and south in fall between inshore and offshore waters. Growth rates, maximum size, and longevity of weakfish are higher at the northern end of the range. Weakfish are an important recreational and commercial species in the Mid-Atlantic. Weakfish feed predominately on mysid shrimp and anchovies as juveniles, and on clupeids and anchovies as adults. Weakfish have been found over a temperature range of 9.5 to 30.8 {degrees}C. Juvenile weakfish have been found over a wider salinity range (0.1--31.7 ppt) than adults (6.6--32.3 ppt). 72 refs., 5 figs., 5 tabs.

• Research Organization: Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS (USA); National Wetlands Research Center, Slidell, LA (USA); North Carolina Div. of Marine Fisheries, Morehead City, NC (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOI
• OSTI ID: 5479645
• Report Number(s): BR-82(11.109); TR-EL--82-4/82(11.109); ON: TI90001472
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520100* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANIMAL GROWTH
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BASELINE ECOLOGY
ECOLOGY
ESTUARIES
FEEDING
FISHERIES
FISHES
GROWTH
HABITAT
LIFE CYCLE
MIGRATION
POPULATION DYNAMICS
PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS
REPRODUCTION
SEAS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SURFACE WATERS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
VARIATIONS
VERTEBRATES