Description: inferior mouth;
3 to 5 pairs of small barbels on chin; silver-gray or bronze body with
dark oblique wavy bars or lines; iridescent especially on head; preopercle
strongly serrated.
Similar Fish: spot, Leiostomus
xanthurus (has no chin barbels and has a dark blotch on shoulder).
Where found: generally
found north of Tampa Bay on the west coast and north of Cape Canaveral on
the east coast; young fish found in estuaries; older fish (2 to 3 years)
inhabit deep OFFSHORE waters during the winter months and move into bays
and estuaries during the spring, summer and fall.
Size: usually less than 2
pounds.
*Florida Record: n/a
Remarks: during spawning
becomes bronze or yellow in color; spawning apparently occurs OFFSHORE in
fall; longevity 2 to 4 years.
* The Florida records
quoted are from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's
printed publication, Fishing
Lines and are not necessarily the most current ones. The records are
provided as only as a benchmark.
