(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association -August 1995 newsletter)
The following article was taken from the August 1995 issue of Fisheries Focus, the newsletter of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Tautog (Tautog onitis), also known as blackfish, white chin, chinner, black porgy, or slippery bass, are a popular recreational and commercial fish found along the Atlantic coast between Nova Scotia and Georgia. Significant fisheries and the greatest abundance occur between Cape Cod and Chesapeake Bay. They are a member of the tropical wrass, or Labrid family, which contains over 500 species. Of these, only tautog and cunner are found north of Cape Hatteras. Due to recent declines in tautog abundance, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) is currently developing a Tautog Fishery Management Plan.
Life History
Tautog are commonly a dull blackish to blackish green color with irregular mottled sides, and have lighter coloration on the chin, throat, and prominent lips. They are distinguished from the cunner by their longer and stouter shape, higher head profile, and lack of scales on the cheek and gill flaps. Tautog are slow-growing and long-lived, potentially reaching 30 years of age and sixes of up to 20 pounds.
Throughout their life, tautog are associated with a variety of structured habitats. The preferred juvenile nursery is shallow water habitat containing some type of cover, such as eelgrass and sea lettuce beds, as well as artificial sea grass habitats. As juveniles grow older and larger, they become associated with hard bottom, reef-type habitats. Adults are found in many types of habitats that provide cover, including: natural and artificial reefs, rock piles, mussel and oyster bars, shipwrecks, and jetties and piers. The actual habitat chosen varies geographically, with tautog inhabiting whatever structure is locally available. mouths of estuaries, inlets, and artificial reefs are important habitats for tautog, especially in the southern reaches of their range where fewer natural Rocky habitats are found. Both juveniles and adults show a strong affinity to their chosen homesite, with juveniles often only traveling about one-third mile in search of food each day. However, if prey becomes scarce or environmental conditions become unfavorable, tautog will their extend their home range or leave in search of better conditions.
Adult tautog feed primarily on blue mussels, although other shellfish and benthic organisms such as barnacles, crabs, sand dollars, periwinkles, and clams may also appear in their diet. Since tautog find their prey visually, they typically leave their shelters soon after daylight and spend the day foraging for food. At nightfall, they return to the same area of shelter habitat. When not feeding during the day, and when resting at night, tautog often become so docile and unresponsive that individual fish can be touched by divers.
Tautog reach maturity between two and four years of age, at sizes of seven to 12 inches. The optimum size for egg production has been estimated at 14-16 inches, and mature female tautog may contain over 600,000 eggs. During spring when water temperatures reach about 48 Degrees F, adults migrate inshore to spawn within estuaries or nearshore marine areas. Spawning reaches a peak in June and may last throughout the summer. Tautog primarily spawn in pairs, but under certain conditions they may spawn in groups of one female and several males. After a display of courtship, that includes nuzzling and rubbing of each others flanks that may last several hours, the spawning fish move upward rapidly and release their eggs and sperm near the surface. The buoyant eggs hatch in about two days, and after about three weeks the larvae undergo metamorphosis, becoming juveniles and settling to the bottom to begin a demersal lifestyle.
Adult migrations consist of the inshore spawning migration in the spring, and an offshore migration in the fall to wintering areas. The offshore migration begins when water temperatures drop to around 50 degrees F in the late fall. Most adults form schools and migrate to deep water locations of 80 - 150 feet deep. They remain there until beginning spawning migration in the spring. While it has not been shown that tautog return to the same wintering areas each year, it is thought that some populations return to the same spawning areas. Although most undertake seasonal migrations, some tautog remain offshore year-round, especially in the southern part of the range. While those populations may spawn offshore, the juveniles are thought to migrate to shallow inshore nursery waters.
Recreational & Commercial Fisheries
Tautog primarily support recreational fisheries, with anglers accounting for around 90 percent of the total landings. Recreational landings peaked in 1986 at just over 13.5 million pounds and have declined since then. Commercial landings increased during the early 1980s, and have fluctuated without trend around one million pounds between 1986 and 1991. Most commercial landings have historically been by otter trawl. but harvest by both potting and hook-and-line gear has been increasing recently, largely due to the development of a market for live tautog. Most of the tautog harvest (70 percent) comes from state waters (zero to three miles offshore).
Fishery Management Plan
The Commission is developing a Tautog Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The primary goal of the FMP is to perpetuate and enhance tautog stocks through cooperative interstate management. An important aspect of all Commission Plans is public participation and comment. The Tautog FMP was first introduced and made available for comment with the drafting of a Public Information Document (PID). During May and June four Public Meetings were held to solicit comments on the PID, which were then forward to the Tautog Management Board and the Tautog Advisory Panel. After Management Board approval (scheduled for September), the Draft FMP will go through a series of Public Hearings for further discussion and comment. Final approval of the Tautog FMP is expected by the Commission’s Spring 1996 Meeting.
Tautog FMP Update
The Tautog Technical Committee met in Warwick, Rhode Island on July 13 and 14. The Technical Committee reviewed the recent report to the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Stock Assessment Review Committee (SARC), which included a review of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s stock assessment for tautog. While insufficient data prevented acceptance of the assessment’s use of virtual population analysis. the SARC concluded that evidence from other sources indicated tautog stock abundance has declined drastically and is at an extremely low level. The Technical Committee also discussed estimates of current fishing mortality, a target fishing mortality level that will rebuild the stocks. and ways to reach the target. It was agreed that around a 65 percent reduction in fishing mortality is necessary to protect and restore tautog stocks. The Technical Committee prepared charts and tables showing the impacts of size and bag limits to help guide the Tautog Management Board and Advisory Panel in taking steps to reduce fishing mortality.
The Tautog Advisory Panel met on July 25 during the Commission’s meeting week in Philadelphia, PA. items addressed included Technical Committee recommendations for reducing tautog landings and a review of the Draft FMP. The Advisory Panel indicated a willingness to take the steps necessary to restore tautog, and suggested further options for evaluation by the Technical Committee. Those options included consideration of seasonal closures to allow increased bag limits, and consideration of quotas, trip limits, and licenses to achieve reductions in commercial harvest. The Advisory Panel urged that effects of current regulations be recognized when assessing further reductions.
The Management Board also met in Philadelphia on July 26. Reviews of the SARC Advisory report, Technical Committee recommendations, and Advisory Panel meeting of July 25 were provided. There was significant discussion on fishing mortality targets, and the rate at which targets should be reached. To begin a stock rebuilding strategy, the Board decided to set a fishing mortality target of F 30% for two years. Determination of size limits will be made during the next meeting in September, which will allow the Technical Committee time to consider the appropriateness of a coastwide recommendation. The Board also requested that the Technical Committee prepare a state-by-state analysis of seasonal closures, re-evaluate the North-South dividing line, conduct an impact analysis on bag limits, and determine methods of evaluating the Plan for individual states. For more information, contact John Carmichael, Fishery Management Plan Coordinator at (202)289-6400.