Spotted Seatrout

Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus

Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, Juvenile. Fish caught from within Tampa Bay, Florida, June 2019.  Length: 12 cm (4.7 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, Juvenile. Fish caught from coastal waters off Mobile, Alabama, September 2023.  Length: 12 cm (4.7 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus. Fish caught from the Packery Channel Jetty, Corpus Christi, Texas, July 2021.  Length: 24 cm (10 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus. Commercial fish courtesy of Walmart, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, September 2008. Length: 24 cm (10 inches).

Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus. Fish caught from within the Indian River Lagoon, Micco, Florida, November 2020. Length: 26 cm (10 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, San Diego, California.

Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus. Fish caught in coastal waters of Tampa Bay, Florida, February 2015. Length: 51 cm (20 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of George Brinkman, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

The Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, is a member of the Croaker or Sciaenidae Family, and is also known as the Speckled Trout, the Speckled Seatrout and the Spotted Weakfish and in Mexico as corvina pinta. Globally, there are twenty-four species in the genus Cynoscion, of which thirteen are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic and ten in the Pacific Ocean.

The Spotted Seatrout has an elongated and somewhat compressed body with an elevated back. They have a silvery coloration; their dorsal surface is darker with a tinge of blue. They are covered with numerous black spots above their lateral line, which extend into the caudal and second dorsal fins. Their fins are pale to yellowish and their caudal fin has a black margin. Their head has a concave profile and features a large oblique mouth with an orange interior, a projecting lower jaw, and a pair of canine teeth in the front of the jaw. Their snout has 2 pores. They do not have a chin barbel. Their anal fin has 2 spines and 10 or 11 rays; their first dorsal fin has 9 to 11 spines; and, their second dorsal fin has 25 to 28 rays. Their lateral line extends into the caudal fin.

The Spotted Seatrout is a demersal species that is found in shallow, vegetated, brackish, and marine waters at depths up to 9 m (30 feet). They are a euryhaline species and are capable of handling large changes in salinity. They prefer water temperatures between 16oC (60oF) and 32oC (90oF) and move to deeper waters to escape temperatures colder or warmer than this range. They reach a maximum 1.0 m (3 feet 3 inches) in length and 7.9 kg (17 lbs 7 oz) in weight. As of March 31, 2023, the International Game Fish Association world record for length stood at 86 cm (2 feet 10 inches) with the fish caught from coastal waters off Melbourne Beach, Florida in June 2015. The corresponding world record for weight stood at 7.92 kg (17 lbs 7 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Fort Pierce, Florida in May 1995. They consume shrimp and small fish and in turn are preyed upon by larger fish (alligator gar, barracuda, striped bass, and tarpon) and birds, especially brown pelicans and osprey. Many contain a tapeworm that is harmless to humans. They are dimorphic with the females being significantly larger than males. Each female releases between 15,000 and 1,100,000 eggs several times per year; eggs hatch into larvae within 18 hours. They have a lifespan of up to ten years.

The Spotted Seatrout is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

The Spotted Seatrout can be confused with the Weakfish or Gray Seatrout, Cynoscion regalis (lacks black spots).

From a conservation perspective the Spotted Seatrout is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are a favorite target of both commercial and recreational fishermen in the United States for the States adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico. Smaller fish are a targeted foe of recreational anglers using light weight spinning tackle and live shrimp as bait. Larger fish are difficult to catch and require live bait such as menhaden, mullet, pigfish or pinfish. They are considered an excellent food fish, however, care must be taken in handling it from landing to skillet, as the meat can deteriorate quickly. To address the significant decline in catch rates, the states of Alabama, Florida, and Texas have enacted major conservation programs which include various bans on commercial fishermen and daily catch and size limits as well as seasonal bans placed on recreational fishermen.