Atlantic Croaker
The Atlantic croaker is a member of the Sciaenidae family (drum and croaker). The common name "croaker" is derived from the voluntary deep croaking noises made when the fish raps a muscle against its swim bladder. The sound resonates and is amplified, and the drumming noise can be heard from a far distance.
The sciaenids as a group are among the most important food fish in the world because nearly all species are good to eat and are harvested commercially. The Atlantic croaker, a bottom fish, is one of the most frequently caught estuarine and near-shore marine fish along the Eastern coast of the United States, although in recent years stocks have dwindled in the northern part of its range. It is a good table fish, having lean white meat with a firm texture, often substituted for pompano or mullet in dishes. Commercially, the croaker is sold whole or in fillets.
Identification — The Atlantic croaker has a small, elongated body with a short, high first dorsal fin and a long, low second dorsal fin. There are 6 to 10 tiny barbels on the chin and 64 to 72 scales along the lateral line, and the preopercular margin has three to five spines. The middle rays of the caudal fins are longer than those above and below, creating a wedgelike appearance. Its coloring is greenish above and white below, with brownish black spots and a silver iridescence covering the body. There are dark, wavy lines on the sides. During spawning, the Atlantic croaker takes on a bronze hue (thus the nickname "golden cracker"), and its pelvic fins turn yellow.
It can be distinguished from its cousin the spot (Leiostomus xanthurus; see: spot) by its convex tail, which is unlike the spot's concave caudal tail. Its unique coloring and spotted patterns also help distinguish the Atlantic croaker from its other relatives.
Size/Age — The average fish is 12 inches long and weighs 1 1/2 pounds, although the species may grow to 20 inches. The all-tackle record weighed 3 pounds, 12 ounces. The Atlantic croaker, like most fish in its family, can live up to five years.
Distribution — The Atlantic croaker is found along the Atlantic coast from Cape Cod to the Bay of Campeche. While it is abundant off the entire coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the croaker periodically becomes most common in Louisiana and Mississippi waters; it may also be found in southern Brazil and Argentina.
Habitat — Atlantic croaker are a bottom-dwelling, estuarine-dependent fish that become oceanic during spawning. They prefer mud, sand, and shell bottoms; areas around rocks; waters near jetties, piers, and bridges; and surf. Juveniles inhabit both open and vegetated shallow marsh areas. Adult croaker can occupy a wide range of salinities, from 20 to 75 parts per thousand, and temperatures of 50° to 96°F. Large fish are not found at temperatures below 50°F. Larvae and juveniles, however, are more tolerant of lower temperatures and can be found in waters ranging from 33° to 96°F.
Life history/Behavior — Spawning occurs at sea in winter and spring (the peak month is November), when the Atlantic croaker migrates to deeper, warmer water. In the southerly range, it is assumed that all croaker spawn in the open Gulf of Mexico, near the mouths of various passes that lead into shallow bays and lagoons. Large females may release up to 180,000 eggs, which will drift shoreward after hatching. Croaker larvae are abundant on soft bottoms with large quantities of detritus.
Atlantic croaker grow rapidly at approximately 6 inches per year. Males reach maturity at the end of their second year (10 inches), and females at the end of their third (14 inches). Adults migrate in schools or small groups to the bays in the spring and leave the marsh in the fall to enter deep gulf waters. To the north in the Chesapeake Bay area, the post-larval and juvenile fish migrate into the estuaries and return to the ocean as yearlings.
Food and feeding habits — Larval and post-larval fish subsist mostly on zooplankton; detritus is a major part of their diet as they grow. Adults feed on detritus as well, but they also consume larger invertebrates and fish. Sensory barbels allow the Atlantic croaker to find food on the bottom.
Angling — Atlantic croaker are caught in large numbers from March through October on such natural baits as shrimp, soft-shell or shedder crabs, clams, worms, and cut fish, and with artificial lures such as small jigs and weighted bucktails. Light tackle and small hooks are best, and although some fish are caught during the day, angling after dark is often better. Fishing is also often best just before, or right after, a hide tide in channels or deep holes.