Delaware State Fish
Weakfish (common name) Cynoscion regalis (scientific name) Overview The weakfish is a migratory Atlantic saltwater fish that is particularly plentiful from Long Island to North Carolina. Delaware, which lies in the heart of weakfish territory, adopted the weakfish as its state fish in 1981. The fish is similar in appearance to a trout, which is why it is so often called by that name, but it is genetically part of the "drum" and "croaker" family. An adult weakfish has a sleek body with a dark olive-green back and copper sides covered with dark spots and yellow-edged fins. Weakfish also have protruding lower jaws and two large "fangs" in the upper jaws. The somewhat ironically named weakfish are powerful swimmers and strong fighters when hooked, making them a popular game fish. They are also popular for food, although recent severe declines in populations have led to fishing bans. The weakfish has been endangered before. Populations were decimated in the mid-1900s; after they rebounded in 1970, they plunged again due to overfishing in the 1990s. Seasonal migration leads the weakfish in a northern movement along the coast during the spring and then a migration to the warmer waters of the south in the fall. Weakfish spawn in river estuaries when water temperatures rise in May. Spawning grounds include Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, Narragansett Bay, Raritan Bay, and Peconic Bay.  Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Length: Up to 39 in (100 cm); average of 20 in (50 cm) Weight: Up to 19.5 lbs (8.9 kg); average of 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg) LIFESPAN Up to 18 years HABITAT Shallow coastal waters with sandy or muddy bottoms and eelgrass beds, including salt marshes. Range: Atlantic coast of North America from Nova Scotia to Florida. Water type: Saltwater, brackish water Water temp: 55–70ºF (13–21ºC) Elevation: Prefers shallow water but can be found at depths of up to 330 ft (100 m) Conservation Status: Threatened DIET Fish (anchovies, menhaden), sea worms, squid, mollusks, and crustaceans (crab, grass shrimp). REPRODUCTION Fertilization: External Spawning frequency: April-August Mating behavior: Group Egg laying: Weakfish spawn in near-shore bay waters. Larvae hatch in brackish tributaries in late summer. In October, the five-inch (12.5 cm) young move to bays and then, in early winter, swim out to sea. USES Game fish, commercial fish OTHER NAMES Tide runner, sea trout, yellow fin trout, yellow mouth, gray trout, gray weakfish, silver weakfish, sand trout, saltwater trout, squit, squeteague TRIVIA The name "weakfish" was given because the fish has thin skin and weak mouth muscles, so fishing hooks often tear free and allow it to escape. The male weakfish makes a drumming noise during spawning season by contracting its stomach muscles against its air bladder. The sound is loud enough to be heard above the water. The weakfish’s original Algonquin name is squeteague.
	Click to enlarge an image Illustration of Weakfish Weakfish Weakfish Fingerling CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Suborder: Percoidei Family: Sciaenidae Genus: Cynoscion Species: C. regalis
	Raw Data Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Author: World Trade Press