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

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

OSTI ID:5608460

Auster, P J ^[1]

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1. Connecticut Univ., Groton, CT (USA)

Species profiles are summaries of literature on the taxonomy, morphology, range, life history, and environmental requirements of coastal finfishes and shellfishes. They are designed to assist in environmental impact assessment. Tautog ({ital Tautoga onitis}) and cunner ({ital Tautogolabrus adspersus}) are common coastally distributed species along the northeast US. Both species are active during the day and require shelter sites at night, when they are inactive. They also require overwintering shelter when torpid. Cunner are omnivorous, feeding on a variety of primarily benthic species; tautog feed primarily on mussels ({ital Mytilus edulis}). Tautog spawn from mid-May to mid-August and cunner from early May to late August. Longevity of cunner, the smaller of the two species, is 6 years and that of tautog, the larger species, is about 34 years. Due to their nocturnal and low-temperature inactivity, these species are unable to avoid short-term detrimental environmental disturbances. Since they undertake no long-distance migrations, they are key indicators of site-specific stress along the coast. 43 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Connecticut Univ., Groton, CT (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOD; DOI
• OSTI ID: 5608460
• Report Number(s): BR-82(11.105); TR-EL-82-4/82(11.105); ON: TI90001668
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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