Tautoga onitis
Tautog
NS
GNR
Collection Details
Specimens
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Labridae (Wrasses)
Tautoga
Tautoga onitis (Tautog)
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Distinguished from Tautogolabrus adspersus which occurs in the same area and further north, by its steep, rounded dorsal head profile; stouter body; scaled lower gill cover; and the more backward location of the pelvic fins. Striking features: none.
Distribution
Western Atlantic: slightly east of Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada to South Carolina in USA; most abundant between Cape Cod and Delaware Bay.
Habitat Associations
Brackish, marine. reef-associated. depth range 1-75 m. Found in: estuaries.
Biology
Found close to shore on hard-bottom habitats, occasionally entering brackish water. Adult male territorial and active during the day to feed and rests in crevices at night. Prefers temperatures above 10°C. Spawning was noted in June-July in Canadian waters, but appears more protracted (April-July) in coastal waters of Virginia, USA. Feeds mainly on mussels, gastropods, other mollusks and crustaceans. This species has gained popularity as a prized food and sport fish (Ref. 6486, 4926, 41297). Investigation on the diel and seasonal activity patterns of the adult tautog in its southern range were conducted using ultrasonic telemetry (Ref. 41297).
Max length: 91.0 cm TL; max weight: 11330 g; max age: 34 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders. Spawns in groups or in pairs. Pairing occurs between females and size-dominant males exhibiting strong territoriality and performing a protracted courtship (Ref. 6488). Gonochorism is confirmed for this species (Ref. 103751).
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable (VU), assessed 2008-07-12. Resilience: Low (K=0.09; tm=2-3; tmax=34).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish; aquarium: public aquariums.
References
Leim, A.H. and W.B. Scott (1966) Fishes of the Atlantic coast of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. (155):485 p.
Hostetter, E.B. and T.A. Munroe (1993) Age, growth, and reproduction of tautog, Tautoga onitis (Labridae: Perciformes) from coastal waters of Virginia. Fish. Bull. 91:45-64.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
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