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Atlantic Croaker

Artwork: Joann Wheeler 1999

Fast Facts:

Named for the sound it makes.  Croaker are an important species for commercial and recreational fisheries.
Distribution Coastal: Massachusetts to Florida
Chesapeake Bay: Throughout the Bay in areas with a salinity of greater than 5 ppt.
Description Chin with 3-5 pairs of barbels and 5 pores; body elongate; top silvery greenish, side silvery, upper side with numerous brassy spots that form oblique wavy bars.
Max. size 20 inches.
Life span 7-8 years.
Food preference Worms, mollusks, crustaceans, fish.
Spawning location Continental shelf.
Spawning period July to February, peaking from August to October in the Bay.
Egg type Demersal
Additional Information Go to DNR's Fish Facts page OR Juvenile Fish Index

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