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Sea Trout in North Carolina?

Started by Guest_NateTessler13_* , Jul 04 2009 06:49 PM

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24 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 04 July 2009 - 06:49 PM

Hi everybody,
I'm out at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I was seining through some Valsineria sp. in some shallow water when I caught this fish:
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The fish is obviously a juvenile. It was caught in the Currituck Sound in Duck, NC. I'm thinking it's one of the area's many Sea Trout species. Can anyone ID this one?

Thanks in advance!

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#2 Guest_Gambusia_*

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Posted 04 July 2009 - 08:28 PM

Most sea trout I encounter here in NC are speckled sea trout-spotted trout.

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#3 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 04 July 2009 - 10:05 PM

Hmmm...I'm not sure I can confidently say it's one of those.

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#4 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 05 July 2009 - 05:41 PM

Hi everybody,
I'm out at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I was seining through some Valsineria sp. in some shallow water when I caught this fish:

The fish is obviously a juvenile. It was caught in the Currituck Sound in Duck, NC. I'm thinking it's one of the area's many Sea Trout species. Can anyone ID this one?

Thanks in advance!

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#5 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 05 July 2009 - 05:45 PM

Since I am the self-proclaimed expert on NC fishes, it can be embarrassing to have to guess at a species ID. Your fish is definintely not a the weakfish (grey trout) but as mentioned earlier most likely the spotted seatrout (speckled trout) which uses the marine eelgrasses as a nursery area (not Vallisneria).

quiet ps: the Marine Patrol probably would not recognize it, but the species does have a 12" minimum size limit.

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#6 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 05 July 2009 - 06:10 PM

Since I am the self-proclaimed expert on NC fishes, it can be embarrassing to have to guess at a species ID. Your fish is definintely not a the weakfish (grey trout) but as mentioned earlier most likely the spotted seatrout (speckled trout) which uses the marine eelgrasses as a nursery area (not Vallisneria).

quiet ps: the Marine Patrol probably would not recognize it, but the species does have a 12" minimum size limit.

Thank you very much for the ID. It was photo'd and released promptly. I'm only keeping the Mullet for bait.

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#7 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 05 July 2009 - 06:27 PM

Just because I'm at my computer, here's something we caught in our crab trap this evening...

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A Southern Flounder, I believe.

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#8 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 05 July 2009 - 07:52 PM

Got this one yesterday. I'm pretty sure it's a Halfbeak, but not sure which species...

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Any thoughts?

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#9 Guest_schambers_*

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Posted 05 July 2009 - 09:45 PM

I can't identify it, but I can see why you say halfbeak. Some of the halfbeaks are stick thin like your fish. However, the ones I have the upper part of the mouth is only half as long as the bottom. I have Nomorhamphus ebrardtii and Nomorhamphus liemi. The ebrardtii are really silly looking with a large piece of food in their mouth, because the upper part of the mouth sticks straight up. Your fish has a whole 'beak'. I bet it's a relative, or at least convergent evolution.

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#10 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 06 July 2009 - 07:14 AM

Got this one yesterday. I'm pretty sure it's a Halfbeak, but not sure which species...

Any thoughts?

Atlantic needlefish

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#11 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 06 July 2009 - 07:17 AM

Just because I'm at my computer, here's something we caught in our crab trap this evening...

A Southern Flounder, I believe.

Its got the patterns of both summer and Gulf flounders but I don't see any ocellated spots that those 2 have. Best way is to count gill rakers if you aren't sure.

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#12 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 06 July 2009 - 07:24 AM

Atlantic needlefish

Thank you. I've got to ask, is this one also an Atlantic Needlefish then? Just seems to have a different proportion to its beak.

Posted Image

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#13 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 06 July 2009 - 04:39 PM

in my opinion, yes they are both needlefish. first one ran into a wall.

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#14 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 15 July 2009 - 09:53 AM

Alright, I'm going to give it a go-through of all the fish I caught and photographed while in Duck, NC. I'm going to post a picture along with what I've ID'ed them as. I'm posting this because I'm not 100% sure on some of these ID's. Any help would be very much appreciated!

1.) White Mullet (Mugil curema)
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2.) Atlantic Needlefish (Strongylura marina)
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3.) Southern Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus)
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4.) Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides)
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5.) Spot (Leiostomus xanthurus)
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6.) Northern Pipefish (Sygnathus fuscus)
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7.) Rainwater Killifish (Luciana parva)
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Actually, I've got quite a few more pictures that I need to upload, but they're not done being edited yet. Any confirmations of these ID's, or criticisms are much welcomed. Thanks! :smile2:

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#15 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 15 July 2009 - 01:26 PM

right species name for the flounder but common name is summer flounder. Based on snout length, I'm fairly certain that the pipefish is S. louisianae, chain pipefish

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#16 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 15 July 2009 - 04:37 PM

right species name for the flounder but common name is summer flounder. Based on snout length, I'm fairly certain that the pipefish is S. louisianae, chain pipefish

Ah, I see. Do I then have 2 different species of Pipefish here?

1st...same as the whole fish pictured above:
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And another one, of equal size caught a different day:
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#17 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 16 July 2009 - 09:18 AM

Yep. the second is most likely the northern, S. fuscus.

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#18 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 17 July 2009 - 10:23 AM

Alright then, last batch.

1.) Bay Anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli)
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2.) Eastern Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus diaphanus)
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3.) Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus)...I originally had them labeled as Gulf Menhaden because I didn't even know Atlantic Menhaden existed until seeing a post elsewhere on this forum.
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4.) Inland Silverside (Menidia beryllina)
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5.) Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus)...which subspecies might this be? Northern or Southern?
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6.) Rainwater Killifish (Lucania parva)...looks like a male
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7.) Silver Perch (Bairdiella chrysoura)...this is a guess. I know it's a Sciaenid, but could it be a Silver Seatrout?
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8.) White Mullet (Mugil curema)...wanted to make sure this isn't a Striped Mullet
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This'll be the last batch. Thank you!

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#19 Guest_fritz_*

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Posted 17 July 2009 - 10:45 AM

Nice photos. I agree with your IDs (silverside may be an Atlantic - hard to see the anal fin). That is definitely a silver perch.

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#20 Guest_NateTessler13_*

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Posted 17 July 2009 - 11:57 AM

Nice photos. I agree with your IDs (silverside may be an Atlantic - hard to see the anal fin). That is definitely a silver perch.

Thank you. I thought Silver Perch right away because of the obvious Sciaenid body form, but the yellow fins were my main indicator. Here's a pic of the Silverside sp. with anal fin somewhat displayed...

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