ML083380667

SEIS Reference - Trinectes Maculates Fasciatus: Hogchoker

ML083380667
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Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	12/03/2008
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Trinectes maculates fasciatus hogchoker THIS ACCOUNT IS IN PROCESS. PLEASE CHECK BACK LATER FOR ADDITIONAL INFOR M Type Locality India [?] (Bloch and Schneider 1801 in Eschmeyer 1990).

Etymology/Derivation of Scientific Name Trinectes: three swimmer; maculatus: spotted, in reference to the color pattern of the eyed side (Ross 2001 Synonymy Pleuronectes maculatus Bloch and Schneider 1801:157 in Eschmeyer 1990.

Achirus fasciatus Evermann 1899:310.

Trinectes maculatus Cook 1959:37.

Achirus mollis Wailes 1854:333.

Pa ge 1of 4 ho g choker Trinectes maculates fasciatus 12/03/2008 htt p://www.bio.txstate.edu/~tbonner/txfishes/t rinectes%20maculatus%20fasciatus.htm Characters Maximum size

212 mm SL (Merriman 1939).

Coloration

The color of the eyed side is highly variable , ranging from light and dark brown to olive green

.b ackground is a lighter shade; it may have a uniform pa ttern or many small, dark elongate blotches that pr o mottled appearance. Additi onally, there are al ways six to eight dark bands running across the body, these m light in small specimens. The blind side usually immaculate and may have light pigmentation. All fins are pigmented with a mottled pattern th at matches the body margins (Ross 2001).

Teeth count

Counts: 66-75 lateral line scales (Hubbs et al 1991). There are 65-77 SC, 48-57 dorsal rays, 38-42 anal ra y pelvic rays, and 4 (3-4) left pelvic rays (Ross 2001).

Body shape

Small, oblong flatfish with small eyes (Ross 2001).

Mouth position

Vertical mout h (Ross 2001).

External morphology

Right pectoral fin absent (Hubbs et al 1991). The dorsal and anal fins are elongated, dorsal fin originating on the head and extending to the caudal peduncle. The pectoral fins are absent (smal l may have a few rudimentary rays). The pelvic fins are symmetrical. The body is covered with small, cteno and the lateral line is complete. Scales on the blind side of the head have cirri (Ross 2001).

Distribution (Native and Introduced)

U.S. distribution

Coastal species known from Massachusetts south along the Atlantic coast, and througho u of Mexico to Venezuela (Hubbs et al 1991).

Texas distribution

May be found inhabiting most of the bays and estuaries in the state; also found in the l o reaches of coastal streams (Hubbs et al 1991).

Abundance/Conservation status (Federal, State, NGO)

Populations in the southern United States are currently secure (Warren et al. 2000).

Habitat Associations Macrohabitat

Generally inhabit nonvegetated, sanded areas, bu t also occur over silt or mud bottoms (Rei d Castanga 1955). Occur in fresh water and estuaries, wi th movement between the two habitats related to bo t seasonal and age changes. In coastal areas of Mississi ppi, hogchoker habitats are generally those of moder a (2-7 m), low water clarity, moderate oxygen le vels, and mud-sand substrata (Peterson 1996).

Mesohabitat

Biology Spawning season

From June through August (Pearson 1941; Dovel et al. 1969; Koski 1978; Smith 1986).

Spawning location

In estuaries in the evening, from approx imately 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (Hildebrand and Ca b Reproductive strategy

Fecundity: Has been estimated at 10,000 to 34,000 eggs (H ildebrand and Schroeder 1928; Castagna 1955)

. Age at maturation

Varies from two (Koski 1978) to three (W ockley 1968) or four years (Mansueti and P a Pa ge 2of 4 ho g choker Trinectes maculates fasciatus 12/03/2008 htt p://www.bio.txstate.edu/~tbonner/txfishes/t rinectes%20maculatus%20fasciatus.htm 1956). Migration: After hatching, the larvae move away from the higher salinity (15-18 ppt) spawning grounds in t salinity areas of estuary or freshwa ter streams. The following spring th ey move back downstream into low areas. This downstream distance is extended progressively each year until maturity, when they return to th e spawning grounds. The upstream migration occurs each fa ll for the overwintering period (Dovel et al. 196 9 Peterson 1996).

Longevity: Estimated anywhere from 6-12 years along Atla ntic Coast (Mansueti and Pauly 1956; Wockly Dovel et al. 1969; Koski 1978).

Food habits

Generalized predators on small be nthic invertebrates. Their diet generally consists of midges, ostracods, amphipods, aquatic insects, annelids, crustaceans, polychaetes and forami niferans. Vascular pla n and bottom materials are also occasiona lly ingested, but probably as an ar tifact of their benthic feeding (H i and Schroeder 1928; Reid 1954; Castagna 1955; Darn ell 1958; Wockley 1968; Carr and Adams 1973; Sm i 1984). Small hogchokers (less than 60 mm SL) feed prim arily on amphipods, whereas larger fish feed mo r polychaetes and clam siphons (Smith et al. 1984).

Growth: Average SL for Mississippi hogchokers are:

21 mm, 42 mm, 60 mm, 74 mm, and 91 mm at ages 1 respectively (Pet erson-Curtis 1996).

Phylogeny and morphologically similar fishes In estuaries, it is most similar to the lined sole (Achirus lineatus

), from which it differs in lacking pectoral f having a more oblong (versus rounded) dorsal profile (Ross 2001).

Host Records Commercial or Environmental Importance References Carr, W. E. S., and C. A. Adams, 1973. Food habits of je venile marine fishes occupying seagrass beds in the e zone near Crystal River, Florida. Tr ans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 102(3):511-540.

Castagna, M. 1955. A study of the hogchoker, Trinectes maculates (Bloch and Schneider) in the Wakulla Riv e Master's Thesis, Florida State Univ., Tallahassee.

Cook, F. A. 1959. Freshwater fishes in Mississippi.

Mississippi Game and Fish Commission, Jackson. 239 pp.

Darnell, R. M. 1958. Food habits of fishes and larger i nvertebrates of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, an estuar community. Univ. Texas, Publ. Inst. Mar. Sci. 5:353-416.

Dovel, W. L., J. A. Mihursky, and A. J. McEr lean. 1969. Life history aspects of the hogchoker, Trinectes mac u the Patuxent River estuary, Maryla nd. Chesapeake Sci. 110(2):104-119.

Eschmeyer, W. N. 1990. Catalog of the genre of recent fishes. California Academy of Sciences, San Francisc o Evermann, B. W. 1899. Report on investigations by the U.

S. Fish Commission in Mississippi, Louisiana, and T 1897. Rept. U.S. Fish Comm. 24:287-310.

Pa ge 3of 4 ho g choker Trinectes maculates fasciatus 12/03/2008 htt p://www.bio.txstate.edu/~tbonner/txfishes/t rinectes%20maculatus%20fasciatus.htm Hildebrand, S. F., and L. E. Cable. 1938. Further notes on the development and life hist ories of some teleosts a Beaufort, North Carolina. Fis

h. Bull. (U.S.)

48(24):505-642.

Hildebrand, S. F., and W. S. Schroeder. 1928. Fishes of Chesapeake Bay. Bull. U.

S. Bur. Fish. 43(I):1-336.

Hubbs, C., R. J. Edwards, and G. P. Garrett. 1991. An anno tated checklist to the freshw ater fishes of Texas, w i identification of species. Texas Jour nal of Science, Supplement 43(4):1-56.

Koski, R. T. 1978. Age, growth, and maturity of the hogchoker, Trinectes maculates , in the Hudson River, Ne w Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 107(3):449-453.

Mansueti, R., and R. Pauly. 1956. Age a nd Growth of the northern hogchoker, Trinectes maculates maculate s Patuxent River, Maryland. Copeia 1956(1):60-62.

Merriman, D. 1939. Notes on some marine fishes from Coneticut, with comments on the scales from Elops sa u Copeia 1939(2):113-114.

Pearson, J. C. 1941. The young of some fishes taken in lo wer Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, with special referenc e gray sea trout, Cynoscion regalis (Bloch). Fish. Bull. (U.S.) 50(36):79-102.

Peterson, T. L. 1996. Seasonal migration in the southern hogchoker, Trinectes maculatus fasciatus(Achiridae

)Res. Rept. 9(13):169-176.

Peterson-Curtis, T. L.

1996. Partial life history of southern hogchokers, Trinectes maculatus fasciatus , in the B of Biloxy, Mississippi. Gulf of Mex. Sci. 1996(2):81-88.

Reid, G. K., Jr. 1954. An ecological study of the Gulf of Me xico fishes, in the vicini ty of Cedar Key, Florida.

B Sci. Gulf and Carib. 4(1):1-94.

Ross, S. T. 2001. The Inland Fishes of Mississi ppi. University Press of Mississippi 624 pp.

Smith, S. 1986. Reproductive ecology, population dynamics and seasonal movement of the hogchoker in the ERiver, Virginia. Master's thesis, College of Willia m and MAry, Virginia Instit ute of Marine Sciences, GPoint. Smith, S. M., J. G. Joff, S. P. O'Neil, and M. P.

Weinstein. 1984. Community and trophic organization of nekt o utilization salt marsh habitats, York River, Virginia. Fish. Bull. (U.S.) 82(3):455-467.

Wailes, B. L. C. 1854. Report on the agriculture and geology of Mississippi. E. Barksdale, State Printer, Jacks o Warren, L. W., Jr., B. M. Burr, S. J. Walsh, H. L. Bart, Jr., R. C. Cashner, D. A. Etnier, B. J. Freeman, B. R.

K R. L. Mayden, H. W. Robison, S. T. Ross, and W.

C. Starnes. 2000. Divers ity, Distribution, and Cons e status of the native freshwater fishes of the southern United Stat es. Fisheries 25(10):7-29.

Pa ge 4of 4 ho g choker Trinectes maculates fasciatus 12/03/2008 htt p://www.bio.txstate.edu/~tbonner/txfishes/t rinectes%20maculatus%20fasciatus.htm