Marine - Species

Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus)

General Description
Silvery overall, often with pinkish-bronze tint. Narrow, dark lines or rows of spots on back. Dorsal fin spotted. Preopercle has several prominent spines. Lower jaw with several small barbels on inner edge, mouth inferior and horizontal.

Average Size
9 inches, 0.5 pounds;
South Carolina State Record: 4 pounds, 9 ounces (1979);
maximum age: approx. 2 years (may be 7 – 8 years north of Cape Hatteras)

Habitat

Adults: Common over mud and sandy bottom; also over oyster reefs and live bottoms. Tolerate a range of salinities, but prefer moderate salinity.

Juveniles: Utilize low salinity upper reaches of estuaries, primarily associated with muddy bottoms or detritus-laden habitats; progress to higher salinity with age; overwinter in deeper channels and tidal rivers within estuaries.

Reproductive Cycle

• Adults mature at 1 – 2 years of age; approx. size at maturity: males – 5 ½ inches, females – 7 inches.
• Spawning occurs over continental shelf during fall and winter.
• Larvae use tidal currents to reach nursery grounds in low salinity tidal creeks at the upper reaches of estuaries; inshore larval migration peaks late fall – spring.

Foraging Habits

• Mouth faces downward and can be formed into a tube to suction prey from on or within bottom sediments.
• Adults: Feed primarily on marine worms, small shrimp and crabs, clams, and some fishes.
• Juveniles: Consume copepods, amphipods, mysid shrimp, worms, and detritus. Diet of larger juveniles and subadults is similar to adult fish. Larvae consume predominantly copepods.

Availability/Vulnerability to Harvest

• Present in South Carolina waters year-round. Seasonal movement related to spawning; may also be temperature regulated. Age 1 + fish overwinter offshore and may leave estuaries as water cools during fall. Spawning migrations may occur before any seasonal temperature decline.
• Among the most abundant bottom-dwelling fish in Atlantic estuarine, coastal, and nearshore waters. Large interannual variability in population size and inshore recruitment exists, probably due to significant larval mortality caused by environmental factors (especially cold winters).
• No commercial fishery for Atlantic croaker exists in South Carolina. However, the species experiences significant recreational fishing pressure.
• Conservation concerns: degradation or loss of estuarine nursery habitat, compromised water quality, lack of adequate catch data for South Carolina waters; potential for overfishing.

Abundance of Species

The abundance of croaker in South Carolina has been variable, which is typical of short-lived species where population size is strongly influenced by recruitment success. Abundance has generally increased over the last five years and is currently above the 10-year average. Data presented here are derived from the DNR trammel net survey. More information.

Fishery Status

Recreational landings declined from the early 1980's through 2001, when landings began to increase, a trend that has continued in recent years. While the number of Atlantic croaker harvested has decreased in recent years, there was an increase in the number of Atlantic croaker caught and released alive.

The recreational catch data is provided by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which conducts phone and angler-intercept surveys to monitor angler activities and catches. For more information, see www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/recreational. More information.

Literature Cited