Teleostei (teleosts) >
Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) >
Labridae (Wrasses)
Etymology: Tautoga: Plural of the word "taut", an Indian Brazil name translated by Roger William from f the Narragansett, "tautauog" = sheepshead.
More on author: Linnaeus.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 75 m. Subtropical; 46°N - 31°N, 81°W - 58°W
Western Atlantic: slightly east of Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada to South Carolina in USA; most abundant between Cape Cod and Delaware Bay.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 23.6, range 18 - 26.5 cm
Max length : 91.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7251); max. published weight: 11.3 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 34 years (Ref. 6486)
Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 7 - 8. Distinguished from Tautogolabrus adspersus which occurs in the same area and further north, by its steep, rounded dorsal head profile; stouter body; scaled lower gill cover; and the more backward location of the pelvic fins.
Found close to shore on hard-bottom habitats, occasionally entering brackish water. Adult male territorial and active during the day to feed and rests in crevices at night. Prefers temperatures above 10°C. Spawning was noted in June-July in Canadian waters, but appears more protracted (April-July) in coastal waters of Virginia, USA. Feeds mainly on mussels, gastropods, other mollusks and crustaceans. This species has gained popularity as a prized food and sport fish (Ref. 6486, 4926, 41297). Investigation on the diel and seasonal activity patterns of the adult tautog in its southern range were conducted using ultrasonic telemetry (Ref. 41297).
Spawns in groups or in pairs. Pairing occurs between females and size-dominant males exhibiting strong territoriality and performing a protracted courtship (Ref. 6488). Gonochorism is confirmed for this species (Ref. 103751).
Leim, A.H. and W.B. Scott, 1966. Fishes of the Atlantic coast of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. (155):485 p. (Ref. 4926)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 5.3 - 22.8, mean 10.9 °C (based on 96 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01230 (0.00803 - 0.01884), b=3.05 (2.93 - 3.17), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.47 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.09; tm=2-3; tmax=34).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High to very high vulnerability (69 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref.
125649): Moderate to high vulnerability (55 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 16.1 [7.1, 31.7] mg/100g; Iron = 0.447 [0.241, 0.886] mg/100g; Protein = 19.5 [16.6, 21.7] %; Omega3 = 0.193 [0.107, 0.343] g/100g; Selenium = 18.8 [9.2, 37.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 39.3 [11.0, 166.7] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.912 [0.612, 1.593] mg/100g (wet weight);
