A member of the Sciaenidae family (drum and croaker), the silver seatrout is smaller than other seatrout and generally similar in body shape. It is often misidentified with the spotted seatrout.
Identification
Its coloring is pale straw or walnut on the back and silver to white below, without any real defined spots, although faint diagonal lines may be present on the upper body. There are 8 to 9 rays in the anal fin, distinguishing it from the sand seatrout, which has 10 rays. The silver seatrout has large eyes and a short snout, no chin barbel, and one to two prominent canine teeth usually present at the tip of the upper jaw. The lower half of the tail is longer than the upper half.
Size
Silver seatrout seldom weigh more than a half pound and are usually less than 10 inches long.
Spawning behavior
There is a prolonged spawning season offshore during the spring, the summer, and the fall.
Food and feeding habits
The main food sources are shrimp, small crustaceans, and small fish.
Other Names
silver trout, silver weakfish. Distribution. The silver seatrout occurs mainly throughout the Gulf of Mexico and is also in the Atlantic from southern Florida to Maryland.
Habitat
Predominantly an offshore fish, the silver seatrout is usually found over sandy and sandy-mud bottoms. It migrates in bays in the winter months.
