Ken Schultz's Field Guide to Saltwater Fish - Macaw Pets store

The weakfish is a member of the Sciaenidae family (drum
and croaker), and its name refers to the tender, easily torn
membrane in the fish’s mouth.
Identification. The body of weakfish is slim and shaped
somewhat like a trout’s. The lower jaw projects beyond the
upper jaw. There are two large, protruding canine teeth in
the upper jaw and no chin barbels. Its coloring is dark olive
or greenish to greenish-blue on the dorsal surface and blue,
green, purple, and lavender with a golden tinge on the
sides. Numerous small black spots speckle the top, occasionally
forming wavy diagonal lines. There is sometimes a
black margin on the tip of the tongue.
The weakfish is distinguished from the closely related
spotted seatrout because its spots do not extend onto the
tail or the second dorsal fin and are not as widely spaced.
The scales also do not extend onto the fins on the weakfish.
Size/Age. In southerly waters, weakfish average 1 to 4
pounds. In the upper mid-Atlantic, they typically weigh 4 to
7 pounds. The all-tackle record is 19 pounds, 2 ounces, and
the maximum possible growth is believed to be higher. The
average life span is roughly 10 years, but some reportedly
live twice that long.
Life history/Behavior. Mature weakfish are 3 to 4 years
old. Spawning occurs in the nearshore and estuarine zones
along the coast from May through October. A schooling
species, weakfish migrate northward in the spring, spending
the summer inshore, then moving southward again in
the late autumn.
Food and feeding habits. Weakfish feed on crabs, shrimp,
other crustaceans, and mollusks, as well as on herring, menhaden,
silversides, killifish, and butterfish. Because of their
varied diet, weakfish forage at different levels and adapt to
local food conditions.
Weakfish
Cynoscion regalis
OTHER NAMES
squeteague, common
weakfish, northern weakfish,
common seatrout,
northern seatrout, gray
trout, summer trout,
tiderunner, yellowfin,
weakie; French: acoupa
royal; Portuguese: pescadaamarela;
Spanish: corvinata
real.
Distribution. Weakfish
inhabit the western Atlantic
Ocean from Florida to Massachusetts,
and records show
isolated populations occurring
as far north as Nova
Scotia. They are most abundant
from North Carolina to
Florida in the winter and
from Delaware to New York
in the summer.
Habitat. Preferring sandy
and sometimes grassy bottoms,
weakfish are usually
found in shallow waters
along shores and in large
bays and estuaries, including
salt marsh creeks and
sometimes into river
mouths, although they do
not enter freshwater. They
can be found in depths of
up to 55 fathoms in the
winter.
Weakfish 261