Tautog
Tautoga onitis
Summary 2
The tautog or blackfish, Tautoga onitis, is a species of wrasse native to the western Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia to South Carolina. This species inhabits hard substrate habitats in inshore waters at depths from 1 to 75 m (3.3 to 246 ft). It is currently the only known member of its genus.
Biology 3
Found close to shore on hard-bottom habitats, occasionally entering brackish water. Adult male territorial and active during the day to feed and rests in crevices at night. Prefers temperatures above 10°C. Spawning was noted in June-July in Canadian waters, but appears more protracted (April-July) in coastal waters of Virginia, USA. Feeds mainly on mussels, gastropods, other mollusks and crustaceans. This species has gained popularity as a prized food and sport fish (Ref. 6486, 4926, 41297). Investigation on the diel and seasonal activity patterns of the adult tautog in its southern range were conducted using ultrasonic telemetry (Ref. 41297).
Sources and Credits
- (c) Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:Ich:29237
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tautoga_onitis
- (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20842418
