
Also known as:
Spot croaker
Norfolk spot
Spot fish
Common Group Name:
Croakers, Drums
Family Name:
Sciaenidae
Genus Name:
Leiostomus
Species Name:
Leiostomus xanthurus
Dispatch Method:
The eating qualities of these fish are greatly improved if they are killed immediately by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding.
Fish Description:
- Spot are a small croaker with 12-15 dusky oblique bars on their flanks and a distinctive brown or black spot just behind the operculum.
Fish Distribution:
- This species occurs throughout the coastal waters of the north western Atlantic seaboard from Gulf of Maine to Florida and west through the Gulf of Mexico to Texas.
- Spot are usually found over sandy or muddy bottoms in estuaries, often in low salinities. Adults spawn offshore in coastal waters to about 180 feet deep in fall and winter.
Fish Size Common Length:
Common between 8-10 inches, maximum size around 14 inches and 2 pounds.