Tautog
Tautoga onitis
Tautogs vary in color from brown to grayish or black with irregular bars or blotches on the sides. (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
The tautog is a stout, mottled fish with a thick tail and strong teeth. It can be found year-round around wrecks, reefs and pilings near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.
Appearance:
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Stout, rounded body
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Varies in color from brown to grayish or black with irregular bars or blotches on the sides
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Blunt head with greenish eyes and thick lips
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Strong teeth
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Females and small males have a black chin. Some larger males have a white chin.
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Long dorsal fin with about 16 spines
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Thick, squared tail fin
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Grows to about 12 inches long
Habitat:
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Usually found around wrecks, reefs, rocks and pilings
Range:
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Found year-round near the Chesapeake Bay’s mouth
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Common in parts of the lower Bay from autumn through spring
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May be found as far north as the Chester River
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Moves offshore in summer
Feeding:
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Eats clams, crabs, mussels, barnacles and other shellfish
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Uses its powerful teeth to crush its prey’s shells
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Only feeds during the day
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
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Spawns from late April-early August in the lower Bay and offshore
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The female lays about 200,000 eggs
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After hatching, bright green tautog larvae drift for about three weeks before settling in shallow bay grass beds
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In about 3 years, tautogs become sexually mature and lose their bright green coloring
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Can live 34 years
Other Facts:
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Also known as blackfish in northern bays, where it is much more abundant
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When they are not feeding, tautogs are known to find a hole and lie motionless on their side. The fish are so inactive at night that sport divers have been able to catch them by hand.
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The Maryland Chesapeake Bay record tautog, which was caught in October 2005 off Point Lookout, was 25 inches long and weighed 9 pounds.
Sources and Additional Information:
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Fishes of Chesapeake Bay by Edward O. Murdy, Ray S. Birdsong and John A. Musick
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Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
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Tautog – Gulf of Maine Research Institute
