Known from the east coast of the United States, from Cape Cod, Mass.; New York; Cape Hatteras, NC; Charleston, SC; and Brunswick, Ga. Gulf of Mexico: from Captiva Key and St. Andrew Bay, FL; Mobile, Ala.; Biloxi, Miss.; Atchafalaya Bay, La; and, Aransas Bay, Tex. (Ref. 1909). Fisheries management has greatly restricted commercial and recreational fishing. Increasing proportions of this resource are reserved for sport fishing. In recent years, the resource has been recovering and hence, easing some restrictions (Ref. 9987). Also Ref. 26340, 26938.