Spot

Leiostomus xanthurus

Spot is a bluish-gray fish with a brassy white belly and pale-colored fins. Adults have:

• A large black spot near the gill opening.
• No teeth in the lower jaw.
• A strongly notched, but continuous, dorsal fin.
• A forked tail fin.
• 12 to 15 dark lines across the back.

Spot usually grow to approximately 11 to 12 inches long.

Where do spot live?

Spot are one of the most abundant species in the Chesapeake Bay and can be found throughout its waters from April or May to late fall. They are usually found near oyster reefs or around pilings and jetties, but have been collected from all depths and bottom types. Once water temperatures decrease in autumn, spot leave the Bay for coastal southern waters.

What do spot eat?

Spot are bottom-feeders, preying on bristle worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and plant and animal detritus.

In turn, spot are preyed upon by larger fish, including sharks, bluefish, weakfish, striped bass and summer flounder.

How do spot reproduce?

Spot spawn over the continental shelf from late September through March. After spawning, adults may stay offshore, while tiny spot larvae enter the Chesapeake Bay and move to low-salinity shallows and tidal creeks. Juvenile spot grow throughout the summer as they feed on tiny crustaceans in their nursery areas. Most young spot leave the Bay by December.

Other facts about spot:

• Spot are also called the "Norfolk spot."
• Spot is a member of the drum family, which includes weakfish, red drum, black drum and Atlantic croaker. Each of these fish is able to make a loud drumming or croaking sound by vibrating its swim bladder using special muscles.
• Spot live no longer than five years.
• The Chesapeake Bay record spot, caught in 1980 off Poquoson, Virginia, weighed 2.5 pounds.