National Wetlands Research Cenw 

u. s. Fi!sh and WLfdw?i sell&e 

700 Cajundome ibulewd 

Lafayette, La. 7MO6 

Biological Report 82 (11.105) 

August 1989 

TR EL-82-4 

QL 

155 

.S63 

no. 82- 

11.105 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and 

Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes 

and Invertebrates (North and Mid-Atlantic) 

TAUTOG AND CUNNER 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Coastal Ecology Group 

Waterways Experiment Station 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
. 
L 

Biological Report 82(11.105) 

TR EL-82-4 

August 1989 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements 

of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (North Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic) 

TAUTOG AND CUNNER 

Peter J. Auster 

NOAA's National Undersea Research Program 

The University of Connecticut at Avery Point 

Groton, CT 06340 

Project Officer 

David Moran 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

National Wetlands Research Center 

1010 Gause Boulevard 

Slidell, LA 70458 

Performed for 

Coastal Ecology Group 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Waterways Experiment Station 

Vicksburg, MS 39180 

and 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Research and Development 

National Wetlands Research Center 

Washington, DC 20240 
This series may be referenced as follows: 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1983-19_. Species profiles: life 

histories and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and 

invertebrates. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep. 82(11). U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 

This profile may be cited as tollows: 

Auster, P.J. 1989. Species profiles: life histories and environmental 

requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (North Atlantic and MidAtlantic)--tautog and cunner. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep. 82(11.1(X). 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 13 pp. 
PREFACE 

This species profile is one of a series on coastal aquatic organisms, 

principally fish, of sport, commercial, or ecological importance. The profiles 

are designed to provide coastal managers, engineers, and biologists with a brief 

comprehensive sketch of the biological characteristics and environmental 

requirements of the species and to describe how populations of the species may be 

expected to react to environmental changes caused by coastal development. Each 

profile has sections on taxonomy, life history, ecological role, environmental 

requirements, and economic importance, if applicable. A three-ring binder is 

used for this series so that new profiles can be added as they are prepared. 

This project is jointly planned and financed by the U.S 

and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

. Army Corps of Engineers 

Suggestions or questions regarding this report shou 

the following addresses. 

Id be directed to one of 

Information Transfer Specialist 

National Wetlands Research Center 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

NASA-Slide11 Computer Complex 

1010 Gause Boulevard 

Slidell, LA 70458 

or 

U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station 

Attention: WESER-C 

Post Office Box 631 

Vicksburg, MS 39180 

iii 
CONVERSION TABLE 

Metric to U.S. Customary 

Multiply E!?! 

millimeters (mm) 0.03937 

centimeters (cm) 0.3937 

meters (m) 3.281 

meters (m) 0.5468 

kilometers (km) 0.6214 

kilometers (km) 0.5396 

To Obtain 

inches 

inches 

feet 

fathoms 

statute miles 

nautical miles 

square meters (m*) 10.76 square feet 

square kilometers (km*) 0.3861 square miles 

hectares (ha) 2.471 acres 

liters (1) 0.2642 gallons 

cubic meters (m3) 35.31 cubic feet 

cubic meters (m3) 0.0008110 acre-feet 

milligrams (mg) 0.00003527 ounces 

grams (9) 0.03527 ounces 

kilograms (kg) 2.205 pounds 

metric tons (t) 2205.0 pounds 

metric tons (t) 1.102 short tons 

kilocalories (kcal) 3.968 British thermal units 

Celsius degrees ("C) 1.8('%) + 32 Fahrenheit degrees 

U.S. Customary to Metric 

inches 25.40 millimeters 

inches 2.54 centimeters 

feet (ft) 0.3048 meters 

fathoms 1.829 meters 

statute miles (mi) 1.609 kilometers 

nautical miles (nmi) 1.852 kilometers 

square feet (ft*) 0.0929 square meters 

square miles (mi*) 2.590 square kilometers 

acres 0.4047 hectares 

gallons (gal) 

cubic feet (ft3) 

acre-feet 

3.785 liters 

0.02831 cubic meters 

1233.0 cubic meters 

28350.0 milligrams 

28.35 grams 

0.4536 kilograms 

0.00045 metric tons 

0.9072 metric tons 

British thermal units (Btu) 0.2520 kilocalories 

Fahrenheit degrees (OF) 0.5556 ("F - 32) Celsius degrees 

iv 

ounces (oz) 

ounces (oz) 

pounds (lb) 

pounds (lb) 

short tons (ton) 
CONTENTS 

PREFACE .................................................................. 

CONVERSION FACTORS ....................................................... 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................... 

NOMENCLATURE/TAXONOMY/RANGE .............................................. 

MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFICATION AIDS .......................................... 

REASON FOR INCLUSION IN SERIES ........................................... 

LIFE HISTORY ............................................................. 

Spawning ............................................................... 

Fecundity and Eggs ..................................................... 

Larvae ................................................................. 

Juveniles and Adults ................................................... 

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS ................................................... 

FISHERY .................................................................. 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE .......................................................... 

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS ............................................... 

Temperature ............................................................ 

Habitat ................................................................ 

Other Environmental Factors ............................................ 

LITERATURE CITED ......................................................... 

iii 

iv 

vi 

1 

1 

5" 

: 

6 

6 

7 

: 

8 

8 

I"0 

11 

V 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

I am grateful for the reviews by Alan Bejda of the National Marine Fisheries 

Service and Robert Sand of the University of Rhode Island. Their thoughtful 

comments greatly improved the text. Susan Stone prepared the illustrations and 

Jeanie Klemm expertly fed the computer the various drafts of the manuscript. 

vi 
Figure 1. Tautog (top) and cunner (bottom). 

TAUTOG AND CUNNER 

NOMENCLATURE/TAXONOMY/RANGE 

Scientific name.........Tautoq a onitis 

Preferred common name...........Tauto g 

OZkKZmZn names .......... Blackfish, 

white chin 

Class.....................Osteichthye s 

Order......................Perciforme s 

Family.......................,Labrida e 

Scientific name..........Tau,t.oqolabrus 

adspersus 

Preferred common name...........Cunner 

(Figure 1) 

Other common names..........Perch, sea 

perch, blue perch, bergall, 

chogset, choggy 

Class.....................Osteichthyes 

Order......................Perciformes 

Family........................Labridae 

Geographic range: Tautog--coastal 

region of Nova Scotia to South 

Carolina; abundant from Cape Cod 

south to the Delaware Capes. Cunner 

--coastal region and offshore banks 

from Conception Bay, Newfoundland, 

and southwestern Gulf of St. 

Lawrence, south to New Jersey, and 

occasionally to the entrance of 

Chesapeake Bay (Bigelow and 

Schroeder 1953; Liem and Scott 

1966) (Figure 2). 

MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFICATION AIDS 

The tautog and cunner are the 

only two representatives of labridae 

along the northeast coast of the 

United States. They are easily 

distinguished from other co-occurring 

fishes in having a single long dorsal 

1 
MAINE 

1 CANADA \ \ 

OSTON 

!‘E COD 

# Tautog and Cunner 

MILES 

Figure 2a. Distribution of Jautog and Cunner in North Atlantic Region. 

2 
--\ <-\ 

NEW YORK 

’ RI 

\ j 

“:, - -- _,---- \_ 

AA 

R 0 

z 

n 

\ 

7 

m 

m 

CONN+TICUT ‘1 

PE NSYLVANIA 

t 

I, 

PHILADELPHIA + 

._------ 

MARYLAND - 

,7 BALTIMORE 

VIRGINIA 

ATLANTIC OCEAN 

1 

0 N 

MILES 

O%-+%+ 

KILOMETERS 

Cunner 

Tautog and Cunner 

ORTH CAROLINAcn a O - 

CAPE HATTERAS 

Figure 2b. Distribution of Tautog and Cunner in Mid-Atlantic Region. 

3 
fin, ventral fins almost directly 

beneath the pectorals, and a deep 

caudal peduncle. The anterior part of 

the dorsal fin is spiny; the rest is 

soft rayed. The point of division of 

spines and soft rays is not readily 

discernible. In both species, the 

roof of the mouth and the pharynx have 

crushing teeth suitable for breaking 

and grinding hard-shelled prey. The 

two species differ in dorsal profile 

from the mouth to the base of the 

dorsal fin; it is rounded in the 

tautog but relatively straight in the 

cunner. Also, the caudal peduncle is 

relatively wider and the caudal fin 

narrower in the tautog than in the 

cunner (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953; 

Liem and Scott 1966). 

The adult tautog is blackish but 

has a slightly lighter ventral surface 

and a light to white chin. Juveniles 

have mottled or banded sides with 

black, gray, or green pigment. The 

color patterns of the cunner are 

variable; different areas are mottled 

brown, red, green, and blue. Young 

cunner (up to 10 cm total length) 

have a black spot at the anterior part 

of the soft dorsal fin rays (Bigelow 

and Schroeder 1953; Liem and Scott 

1966). 

The adult tautog is also much 

longer than the adult cunner. The 

tautog reaches a maximum length of 92 

cm whereas the cunner has been 

recorded only up to 44 cm and 

generally does not, exceed 31 cm 

(Bigelow and Schroeder 1953; Liem and 

Scott 1966). 

larvae, and postlarvae of 

tautoEgg%$ cunner were described by 

Kuntz Radcliffe (1918) and 

Williams (1967): These forms can be 

distinguished to species by 

morphological differences (Figures 3 

nd 4). 

Figure 3. Tautog egg, l-day-old 2.9 mm 

larva, 5 mm larva, and 10 mm fry (after 

Figure 4. Cunner egg, newly hatched 

Kuntz and Radcliffe 1918). 

2.2 mm larva, 4.2 mm larva,and 8 mm fry 

(after Kuntz and Radcliffe 1918). 
i 

1 

REASON FOR INCLUSION IN SERIES 

Both species are widespread along 

the northeast coast of the United 

States. (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953; 

Liem and Scott 1966). They are 

abundant in areas of rock reefs, 

piers, and other areas of high-relief 

habitat. Cunner are sometimes 

abundant enough locally in rocky pier 

habitats to exceed the biomass density 

of some tropical reef systems (Sand 

1982). The tautog supports important 

coastal commercial and recreational 

fisheries. In as much as neither 

species migrates long distances, both 

may be key indicators of local 

stresses in the coastal regions along 

their range. 

LIFE HISTORY 

Spawni nq 

In the tautog, the spawning 

season between Cape Sable, Nova 

Scotia, and Cape Hatteras, North 

Carolina, generally extends from midMay to mid-August and peaks in June; 

in the cunner in the same region, it 

generally extends from early May to 

late August, and peaks in May-June 

(Colton et al. 1979). Cunner spawn 

in pairs or groups, depending on 

conditions (Wicklund 1970; Pottle and 

Green 1979; Pottle et al. 1981). 

The male cunner in Conception Bay, 

Newfoundland, is territorial, with a 

territory of about 50 m2. Possession 

of a territory is necessary for 

successful mating. Females may select 

males more on the basis of the males' 

own characteristics (frequency of 

aggression and courtship, and body 

size) than on the basis of qualities of 

the territories such as size. Malemale competition may affect male 

reproductive success (Martel and Green 

1987). During the spawning season, 

territorial males shift the major 

period of feeding from afternoon to 

morning and most territorial behavior 

(courtship and aggression) occurs in 

the afternoon (Green et al. 1985). 

Large mature tautog have been observed 

spawning in pairs and in groups in the 

laboratory (Olla and Samet 1977; Olla 

et al. 1981). Younger sexually mature 

tautog (without the sexually dimorphic 

mandible) may spawn only in groups 

because small males are unable to 

compete aggressively with larger males 

for females (Olla and Samet 1977). 

Eggs of both species are buoyant and 

are generally confined to the coastal 

waters (Bigelow and Schroeder 1953; 

Richards 1959; Croker 1965). 

Fecundity and Eqos 

Chenoweth (1963) showed that 

fecundity is size specific in the 

tautog. Fish 214-678 mm in fork length 

(weighing 170-5,207 g and 3-20 years 

old) contained 5,000 to 673,500 

mature eggs. The model that describes 

the number of eggs (Y) related to 

length (X) in millimeters is 

Y = -6.00307 t 3.0960X. 

The relation of number of eggs (Y) to 

weight (X) in grams is 

Y = 0.31492 t 1.07993x 

Tautog eggs have no oil globule, 

and are generally larger than cunner 

eggs (Kuntz and Radcliffe 1918). Egg 

size varies from year to year; 

reported diameters range from 0.70 to 

1.14 mm diameter (Richards 1959; 

Chenoweth 1963). Year-to-year 

variation in reported measurements may 

be explained by time of sampling: 

mean diameters of eggs of both tautog 

and cunner generally decrease as 

spawning season progresses. This 

decrease is attributed to increasing 

water temperature (Williams 1967). 

To the best of my knowledge, the 

fecundity of the cunner has not been 

investigated. 

Tautog eggs hatch in 42-45 hours 

at 20-22 OC; probably lo-12 hours more 

5 
are required in colder water. Cunner 

eggs hatch within the same periods at 

similar temperatures (Bigelow and 

Schroeder 1953). 

Larvae 

Tautog larvae are about 2.2 mm 

long at hatching, and grow to about 

3.3 mm in 96 hours at 20-22 oC. At 

this length, the yolk sac has been 

absorbed and the mouth is formed and 

functional. Dorsal and anal fins are 

distinct at 10 mm. At 30 mm, the fish 

show the general morphological 

characteristics of the adults. Most 

pigment cells are uniformly 

distributed over the trunk of the 

larval fish (Kuntz and Radcliffe 

1918). 

Newly hatched cunner are 2-2.2 mm 

long and have pigment cells 

distributed uniformly over the trunk. 

By 3 mm, the cells have migrated to 

form a pair of black spots on the 

dorsal and ventral sides between the 

base of the dorsal rays and the vent. 

The spots persist until the fish reach 

a length of to 20-25 mm; fish then 

develop the characteristic variable 

color pattern (Kuntz and Radcliffe 

1918; Bigelow and Schroeder 1953). At 

15 mm, the larval fish has the 

features of the adult. 

Juveniles and Adults 

Juveniles and adults of both 

cunner and tautog generally live 

together and depend on cover. Like 

all labridae, they are active during 

the dav and become auiescent at niqht 

(Olla e't al. 

this lethargic 

require she 

Habitat can 

rock outcrops , 

and kelp. 

requirement is 

975; Dew 1976). During 

period, individual fish 

ter for protection. 

include rock reefs, 

gravel, eelgrass beds, 

The functional 

that individual fish be 

able to remain alongside or under an 

object for shelter (Olla et al. 1974, 

1975; Dew 1976). Shelter sites, 

therefore, may become a limiting 

factor of population size within a 

pa;;icular habitat, such as.a rock 

(Olla et al. 1975), since all 

sizes of cunner and juvenile tautog 

(less than about 250 mm in total 

length) would require shelter of a 

similar size and type. Interspecific 

and intraspecific competition for 

shelter sites may occur. This 

hypothesis is supported because other 

reef fishes are limited by shelter; 

it is one of the factors that limit 

the size and diversity of coral reef 

fish assemblages (e.g. Smith and 

Tyler 1972). 

Both species are active during 

the day, when they occur in loose 

aggregations near shelter sites. 

Current velocity can sometimes limit 

the area near shelter sites where 

the fish can forage (Auster 1987). 

Tautog are generally the less abundant 

species. Juvenile tautog, when of the 

same size as a portion of the cunner 

population, gain protective 

advantage from predttors by cooccurring with the numerically 

dominant species (Erlich and Erlich 

1973; Frank and Leggett 1983; Auster 

1984a). 

Foraging in both species involves 

scan-and-pick feeding throughout the 

day (Olla et al. 1975; Dew 1976; 

Auster 1987). Cunner forage on a 

variety of benthic or near-bottom 

invertebrates (Bigelow and Schroeder 

1953; Richards 1963; Chao 1973; Olla 

et al. 1975; Shumway and St ickney 

1975; Sand 1982). Predominant prey 

species are blue mussels (Mvtilus 

edulis), barnacles (Balanus spp.), 

soft shell clams (m arenaria), 

amphipods, shrimps, and small lobsters 

(Homarus americanus). Species and 

size of prey varies by habitat, 

latitude, and size class of fish. 

Olla et al. (1975) showed that 

although juvenile tautog (in the size 

range of adult cunner) feed 

predominantly on mussels throughout 

the year, prey preferences of cunner 

6 
shift seasonally. Juveniles of both temperatures increase. Large fish 

species preferentially prey on mussels become torpid before the smaller 

during May and June. Adult tautog did ones; thus, the smaller fish feed 

so throughout the year (Olla et al. longer. Almost no feeding occurs 

1974). Cunner preferences shift during the period of torpor (Green and 

primarily to isopods (Idotea baltica) Farwell 1971; Olla et al. 1974, 1975, 

from July to October. 1979; Dew 1976). 

Cunner and tautog move about to 

various degrees during the day. Daily 

movements of the cunner and juvenile 

tautog are generally within several 

meters to several hundred meters of 

their nocturnal shelter site (Green 

1975; Olla et al. 1974, 1975, 1979). 

Adult tautog, however, commonly move 

away from their shelter site during 

the day to feed on mussels that may be 

several hundred meters away (Olla et 

al. 1974). 

Cunner and juvenile tautog 

disperse to seasonal habitats during 

summer from perennial habitats that 

are occupied year-round by most of the 

population (Olla et al. 1979). 

Seasonal habitats may be eelgrass, 

beds of macro-algae, or mussels. The 

need to disperse may be driven by 

aggressive competition during 

spawning. Increases in aggression 

directed at some part of the 

population may reduce the optimality 

of the perennial habitat, causing 

individual fish to seek other areas 

(Olla et al. 1977, 1979). The return 

of the migratory group to perennial 

habitats in fall may also be due to 

the declining optimality of those 

habitats. Eelgrass and macro-algal 

stands are ephemeral habitats 

most of the range of tautog 

along 

and 

Seasonal movements, apparently 

driven by temperature, are greater in 

adult tautog. They occupy inshore 

habitats from April and May until late 

October. In winter, they generally 

move to deeper areas (25 to 45 m) 

with complex topography, where they 

may remain in torpor (Cooper 1966; 

Olla et al. 1974). In eastern Long 

Is1 and Sound, overwintering adults 

have been seen in deep crevices of 

rocky reefs, inshore, at depths of 

less than 10 m (Auster, unpublished 

observation). 

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS 

Cooper (1967) reported that in 

the tautog, males grow faster than 

females in length (i.e. 548 versus 501 

mm average TL at age 22) but slower in 

weight (i.e., 1,716 versus 2,094 g 

average weight at age 20). The 

models describing the length-weight 

relationship are 

log w = -4.35670 t 2.77660 log L 

(males) 

and 

cunner. 

the 

As the plants begin to die, 

habitat value decreases. The 

migratory portion 

shows no 

of the population 

particular fidelity to 

perennial sites (Olla et al. 1979). 

log W = -4.80357 t 3.01607 log L 

(females) 

where W = body weight (minus viscera) 

in grams and L = total length in 

millimeters. 

The fish overwinter at the 

perennial sites. They settle into 

individual shelters 

rock walls, 

(crevices, along 

under rocks), when 

temperatures reach between 8 and 5 oC, 

and remain "temperature debilitated" 

(torpid) until spring when water 

Tautog are relatively slow 

growing for a heavily sought sport 

species. They require 9-10 years to 

reach a weight of 2 pounds (907 g), 

depending on sex. A 4-pound (1,814 g) 

fish is about 25 years old if male, or 

15 years old if female. The greatest 

7 
recorded age of a tautog is 34 years regarded as a commercial or sport 

(Cooper 1967). species, but is a significant part of 

the catch of vacationing tourists and 

Cunner grow considerably slower other bait fishermen along the shore 

than tautog and reach a maximum age of (Serchuk and Frame -1973). No state 

6 years (Cooper 1967; Serchuk and Cole regulates the landings of this 

1974). Dew (1976) described the species. 

length-weight model for cunner as 

log w = -5.2512 t 3.2169 Log L ECOLOGICAL ROLE 

(both sexes). This model is similar 

to the one reported by Serchuk and 

Cole (1974) except that the authors 

did not use eviscerated weights. 

Neither reported differences in growth 

of cunner by sex. 

FISHERY 

Tautog populations north of Cape 

Cod have never been large, and have 

contributed little to the commercial 

or recreational catch (Bigelow and 

Schroeder 1953). South of Cape Cod, 

however, they are an important 

recreational species and support a 

small commercial fishery. They are 

primarily harvested with hook and line 

and by trawl, but some are caught with 

gill nets and by spearfishing (Blake 

and Smith 1984). The recreational 

catch (Table 1) is far greater than 

the commercial catch (Blake and Smith 

1984; National Marine Fisheries 

Service 1980-1987; Sampson 1981). 

Tautog's slow growth and seasonal site 

tenacity may make it susceptible to 

overfishing. Some coastal states 

(Connecticut, Rhode Is1 and, and 

Massachusetts) have recently 

established a minimum size limit of 

tautog for commercial or recreational 

fishermen. The regulations vary from 

state to state due to variations in 

fishing effort. No plan now exists 

for Federal management of the 

species. 

The cunner was a favorite 

panfish during the late 19th and early 

20th centuries (Bigelow and Schroeder 

1953); however, landings were reported 

erratically. It is not now widely 

Cunner and tautog are year-round 

resident members of the nearshore fish 

assemblage and are locally abundant 

in their preferred habitats. Sand 

(1982) showed that the density of 

cunner was 3.9 fish/m2 (80 g/m2) in an 

area of Narragansett Bay, Rhode 

Island. These values for density and 

biomass are about 10 times larger than 

those for many temperate demersal fish 

assemblages and are within the range 

of tropical reef assemblages. Cunner 

and tautog both prey heavily on 

benthic organisms (Olla et al. 1974, 

1975) and the effect of an individual 

tautog or cunner on benthic prey 

populations is equal to or greater 

than that of other individual predators 

such as gastropods or starfish (Sand 

1982). Both species may be direct 

competitors with other benthic 

predators that prefer blue mussels as 

prey. These species include the 

commercially important American lobster 

(Weiss 1970). 

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS 

Temperature 

Cunner become torpid when 

metabolism is depressed by falling 

water temperatures (Haugaard and 

Irving 1943). At about 8 oC, the 

largest fish remain in shelter 

throughout the day. As temperature 

decreases further, the smaller fish 

remain in shelters. As water 

temperatures increase in spring, the 

trend reverses, the smaller fish 

resuming activity before the large 

ones. Differences between the largest 

8 
Qw 

. 

. 

Table 1. Estimated number (thousands) of tautog (top) and cunner (bottom) caught 

by marine recreational fishermen along the northeast and mid-Atlantic coasts of 

the U.S. (adapted from National Marine Fisheries Service, 1980-1987). 

Year ME NH MA RI CT NY NJ DE MD VI TOTAL 

1979 

1980 

1981 

1982 

1983 

1984 

1985 

1986 

__- 

6:: 

696 507 1,348 344 86 

66 532 780 1,360 322 ___ 

-__ 151 835 474 1,688 137 ___ 

__- 595 1,025 1,035 1,197 525 ___ 

__- 429 260 78 925 117 ___ 

__- 714 149 365 783 252 ___ 

--- 1,143 326 211 831 806 148 

__- 625 631 241 914 828 ___ 

--- 1,224 305 326 967 440 ___ 

48 737 479 --- 1,800 2,149 -__ 

__- 400 804 465 697 479 42 

__- 342 835 534 1,903 1,113 -__ 

__- 179 144 244 2,127 1,074 

-_- 418 929 323 1,340 165 

--- 2,742 1,065 371 1,638 2,540 

__- 108 517 690 1,272 110 

41 

--_ 

297 

-__ 

__- 260 

__- __- 

3,294 

3,741 

__- _-- 3,285 

_-- _-- 4,377 

--- 

_-- 

36 

__- 

188 1,997 

-__ 2,263 

70 3,571 

__- 3,269 

__- 

__- 

59 

-_- 

___ 

- _,- 

-_- 

-_- 

574 3,836 

___ 5,213 

815 3,761 

___ 4,727 

331 

___ 

509 

__- 

4,140 

3,175 

9,162 

2,697 

__- 

__- 

-_- 

__- 

--- 

--- 

__- 

30 

__- 

--_ 

__- 

__- 

__- 

__- 

_-- 

_-- 

and smallest fish are 1 to 3 weeks in 

both fall and spring (Dew 1976). 

The behavior of juvenile tautog 

is identical with that of cunner 

during decreasing temperatures; the 

fish remain in torpor in shelters at 

perennial habitat sites throughout the 

winter (Olla et al. 1974). Adults 

migrate to deeper offshore sites when 

temperatures decrease to about 10 oC 

(Cooper 1966; Olla et al. 1974). 

Responses of tautog when exposed 

to upper sublethal temneratures (26-32 

OC) in t 

seeking 

act 

iieding 

i 

Olla et 

he laboratory' include shelter 

during the day, and reduction 

vity, aggressiveness, and 

(Olla and Studholme 1975; and 

al. 1978, 1980). The fish 

remain closer to shelter while 

stressed, as they do at the lower 

sublethal temperatures. During 

periods when the fish are debilitated 

by temperature extremes, shelter 

seeking. outside the die1 cycle 

protects individuals from predators. 

The 

response 

ability 

the loca 

shelter-seeking stress 

in both species limits the 

of the fish to migrate when 

habitat is under stress. 

Habitat 

Bot 

9 

I species require shelter 

sites at night, during which they rest 

or are torpid. Juvenile tautog and 

cunner of all sizes require adjacent 

shelter during the day as well (Olla 

5 
et al. 1974, 1975). Biogenic habitats 

such as stands of eelgrass or of 

macro-algae are present only 

seasonally and are occupied only in 

summer. The fish return to their 

perennial habitat when seasonal 

habitats degrade (Olla et al. 1979). 

Interspecific and intraspecific 

competition for shelter sites may 

limit populations of both species. 

Cunner and juvenile tautog less than 

about 250 mm long require similar 

shelter sites (Olla et al. 1975). 

Individuals of either species that 

can not compete for optional shelter 

are exposed to increased risk of 

predation. 

Other Environmental Factors 

Current velocity has been shown 

to affect the small-scale spatial 

distribution and to change foraging 

behavior patterns of fish of different 

sizes and species, including tautog 

and cunner (Auster 1984b, 1985, 1987). 

Cyclical changes in current velocity 

over topographically complex habitats, 

which are shelter sites for cunner and 

tautog, shifted the small-scale 

spatial distribution of fish by size. 

For example, increasing current 

velocity causes increasing minimum 

size of cunner foraging on surfaces 

exposed to the current. Fish of 

different sizes within a species are 

limited in their maneuverability at 

specific current velocities. Areas 

exposed to currents become prey 

refuges for fish of specific sizes as 

velocity increases. These areas again 

become available, and others 

restricted, as tidal current direction 

shifts. Changes in current speed and 

direction, resulting in concomitant 

small-scale shifts in distribution, 

continuously shift the prey available 

to predators. This phenomenon may 

provide a short-term isolating 

mechanism for different sizes of fish 

to reduce both interspecific and 

intraspecific competition in what may 

be a food-limited system. 

10 
LITERATURE CITED 

Auster, P.J. 1984a. Aggregations 

of cunner, Tautoqolabrus adsoersus 

and cod, Gadus morhua: cooccurrence with a dominant species 

in a temperate marine fish 

assemblage. Northwest Atlantic 

Fisheries Organization SCR Dot. 

84/VI/lO. 4 p. 

Auster, P.J. 1984b. Current induced 

effects on the small scale spatial 

distribution of fish. Am. Zool. 

13:86A. 

Auster, P.J. 1985. Some observations 

of fish orientation to current 

direction and effects on predatorprey interactions. Northwest 

Atlantic Fisheries Organization Sci. 

Coun. Studies, 8:53-55. 

Auster, P.J. 1987. The effect of 

current speed on the small scale 

spatial distribution of fishes. 

Symposia series for undersea 

research. Vol. 2(2): 7-16 NOAA 

Office of Undersea Research, 

Rockville, MD. 

Bigelow, H.B., and W.C. Schroeder. 

1953. Fishes of the Gulf of Maine. 

U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Fish. Bull. 

53:1-577. 

Blake, M.M., and E.M. Smith. 1984. A 

marine resources management plan for 

the state of Connecticut. Dep. of 

Environ. Prot., Waterford. 244 p. 

Chao, L.N. 1973. Digestive system 

and feeding habits of cunner, 

Tautoqolabrus adspersus, a 

stomachless fish. U.S. Natl. Mar. 

Fish. Serv. Fish. Bull. 71:565- 

586. 

Chenoweth, S. 1963. Spawning and 

fecundity of the tautog, Tautooa 

onitis. M.S. Thesis. University of 

Rhode Island, Kingston. 60 pp. 

Colton, J.B., W.G. Smith, A.W. 

Kendall, Jr., P.L. Berrien, and M.P. 

Fahay. 1979. Principal spawning 

areas and times of marine fishes, 

Cape Sable to Cape Hatteras. U.S. 

Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv. Fish. Bull. 

76:911-915. 

Cooper, R.A. 1966. Migration and 

population estimation of the tautog, 

Tautoqa onitis (Linnaeus), from 

Rhode Is1 and. Trans. Am. Fish. Sot. 

95:239-247. 

Cooper, R.A. 1967. Age and growth of 

the tautog, Tautooa onitis 

(Linnaeus), from Rhode Island. 

Trans. Am. Fish. Sot. 96:134-142. 

Croker, R.A. 1965. Planktonic fish 

eggs and larvae of Sandy Hook 

estuary. Chesapeake Sci. 6:92-95. 

Dew, C.B. 1976. A contribution to 

the life history of the cunner, 

Tautooolabrus adspersus, in Fishers 

Is1 and Sound, Connecticut. 

Chesapeake Sci. 17:101-113. 

Erlich, P.R., and A.H. Erlich. 1973. 

Coevolution: heterotypic schooling 

in Caribbean reef fishes. Am. Nat. 

107:157-160. 

11 
Frank, K.T., and W.C. Leggett. 1983. and Gulf coasts, 1979 (revised)-80, 

Multispecies larval fish asso- 1981-82, 1983-84, 1985-1986. U.S. 

ciations: accident or adaptation? Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv. Curr. Fish. 

Can. J. Fish. Aquatic Sci. 40:754- Stat. Numbers 8063, 8322, 8324, 

762. 8326, 8327, 8392. 

Green, J.M. 1975. Restricted 

movements and homing of the cunner, 

Tautoqolabrus 

1792), 

adspersus (Walbaum 

in Newfoundland. Can. J. 

Zool. 49:1497-1499. 

Green, J.M., and M. Farwell. 1971. 

Winter habits of the cunner, 

Tautoqolabrus 

1792), 

adspersus iI;lbaum 

in Newfoundland. . J. 

zoo1 . 49:1497-1499. 

Green, J.M., G. Martel, and E.A. 

Kingsland. 1985. Foraging time 

allocation in a territorial fish: 

influence of reproductive activities. 

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 24:23-26. 

Haugaard, N., and L. Irving. 1943. 

The influence of temperature upon 

the oxygen consumption of the cunner 

(Tautoqolabrus adspersus Walbau!nn,;n 

summer and in winter. J. . 

Comp. Physiol. 21:19-26. 

Kuntz, A., and L. Radcliffe. 1918. 

Notes on the embryology and larval 

development of twelve teleostean 

fishes. Bull. U.S. Bur. Fish. 

35:87-134. 

Liem, A.H., and W.B. Scott. 1966. 

Fishes of the Atlantic Coast of 

Canada. Fish. Res. Board Can. 

Bull. No. 155, 485 pp. 

Martel, G., and J.M. Green. 1987. 

Differential spawning success among 

territorial cunners, Tautoaolabrus 

adsDersus, Labridae. Copeia 

1987:643-648. 

National Mar' re Fisheries Service. 

1980-87. Marine recreational 

fishery st:tistics survey, Atlantic 

12 

Olla, B.L., and C. Samet. 1977. 

Courtship and spawning behavior of 

the tautog, Tautoqa onitis (Pisces: 

Labridae), under laboratory 

conditions. U.S. Natl. Mar. Fish. 

Serv. Fish. Bull. 75:585-599. 

0 1 la, B.L., and A.L. Studholme. 1975. 

The effect of temperature in the 

behavior of young tautog, Tautoq 

onitis (L.). p. 75-93 b 

Proceedings of the ninth European 

marine biolow svmoosium. Aberdeen 

University Press.- ’ 

Olla, B.L., A.J. Bejda, and A.D. 

Martin. 1974. Daily activity, 

movements, feeding, and seasonal 

occurrences in the tautog, Tautosa 

onitis. U.S. Natl. Mar. Fish. 

Serv. Fish. Bull. 72:27-35. 

Olla, B.L., A.J. Bejda, and A.D. 

Martin. 1975. Activity, movements, 

and feeding behavior of the cunner, 

Tautoqolabrus adsDersus, and 

comparison of food habits with young 

tautog, Tautoqa onitis, off Long 

Is1 and, New York. U.S. Natl. Mar. 

Fish. Serv. Fish. Bull. 73:895-900. 

Olla, B.L., C. Samet, A.J. Bejda, and 

A.L. Studholme. 1977. Social 

behavior as related to environmental 

factors in the tautog, Tautoqa 

onitis. Pages 47-99 b the behavior 

of marine organisms: plenary 

papers. Mar. Sci. Res. Lab. 

Tech. Rep. 20, Memorial University 

Newfoundland. 

Olla, B.L., A.L. Studholme, A.J. 

Bejda, C. Samet, and A.D. Martin. 

1978. Effects of temperature on 

activity and social behavior of the 

adult tautog Tautoqa onitis under 

laboratory conditions. Mar. Biol. 

(Berl.) 45: 369-378. 
Olla, B.L., A.J. Bejda, and A.D. 

Martin. 1979. Seasonal dispersal 

and habitat selection of cunner, 

Tautooolabrus adspersus, and young 

tautog, Tautooa onitis, in Fire 

Island Inlet, Long Island, New York. 

U.S. Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv. Fish. 

Bull. 77:255-261. 

Olla, B.L., A.L. Studholme, A.J. 

Bejda, and C. Samet. 1980. Role of 

temperature in triggering migratory 

behavior of the adult tautog Tautooa 

onitis under laboratory conditions. 

Mar. Biol. (Berl.) 59:23-30. 

Olla, B.L., C. Samet, and A.L. 

Studholme. 1981. Correlates 

between number of mates, shelter 

availability and reproductive 

behavior in the tautog 

onitis. Mar. Biol. m 

62:239-248. 

Pottle, R.A., and J.M. Green. 1979. 

Field observations on the 

reproductive behavior of the cunner, 

Tautoqolabrus adspersus (Walbaum), 

in Newfoundland. Can. J. Zool. 

57:247-256. 

Pottle, R.A., J.B. Green, and G. 

Martel. 198 1. Dualistic spawning 

behavior of the cunner, 

Tautoqolabrus 

Labridae). 

adsper;:ine (Pisces: 

in 

Newfoundland. 

Bay, 

Can. J. zoo1 . 

59:1582-1585. 

Richards, S.W. 1959. Pelagic fish 

eggs and larvae of Long Island 

Sound. Bull. Bingham Oceanogr. 

Collect. Yale Univ. 17:95-124. 

Richards, S.W. 1963. The demersal 

fish population of Long Is1 and 

Sound. Bull. Bingham Oceanogr. 

Collect. Yale Univ. 18(2). 101 pp. 

Sampson, R.F., Jr. 1981. Connecticut 

marine recreational fisheries 

survey. State of Connecticut. Dep. 

of Environ. Prot., Waterford. 

Sand, R.L. 1982. Aspects of the 

feedinq ecology of the cunner, 

Tautoqolabrus 

Narragansett 

University 

Kingston. 

adsoersus 

Bay. M.S. Thesiin 

of Rhode Island, 

and D.W. Frame. 1973. 

bibliography of the 

Serchuk, F.M., 

An annotated 

cunner, Tautosolabrus adsuersus 

(Walbaum). U.S. Dep. Comm., Natl. 

Mar. Fish. Serv., SSRF-668. 

Serchuk, F.M. and C.F. Cole. 1974. 

Age and growth of the cunner, 

Tautosolabrus adsDersus (Walbaum) 

(Pisces:Labridae) in the Weweantic 

River estuary, Massachusetts. 

Chesapeake Sci. 15:205-213. 

Shumway, S.E., and R.R. Stickney. 

1975. Notes on the biology and food 

habits of the cunner. N.Y. Fish 

Game J. 22:71-79. 

Smith, C.L., and J.C. Tyler. 1972. 

Space resource sharing in a coral 

reef fish community. Nat. Hist. 

Mus. Los Ang. Cty. Sci. Bull. 

14:125-170. 

Weiss, H.M. 1970. The diet and 

feeding of the lobster Homarus 

americanus, in Long Island Sound. 

Ph.D. Dissertation. The University 

of Connecticut, Storrs. 

Wicklund, R.I. 1970. Observations on 

the spawning of the cunner in waters 

of northern New Jersey. Chesapeake 

Sci. 11:137. 

Williams, G.C. 1967. Identification 

and seasonal size changes of eggs of 

the labrid fishes, Tautoqolabrus 

adspersus and Tautosa onitis, of 

Long Island Sound. Copeia 1967:452- 

453. 

13 
50272 -101 

REPORT DOCUMENTATION 1. REPORT NO- 2. 3. Recipwnrs Acccrlloo NO. 

PAGE Biological Report 82( 11.105)* 

1. Title and Subtitle 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements 

S. Report Data 

of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (North Atlantic and 

August 1989 

6. 

Mid-Atlantic)--Tautog and CUnner 

7. Author(a) 8. Performing Organization Rept. NQ. 

Peter J. Auster 

i. Pwforming O~anizrtion Name and Address 10. Proi%t/TaskIWork Unit No. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

National Fishery Research Center 11. Contract(C) or Grant(G) No. 

Building 204, Naval Station Puget Sound (C) 

Seattle, WA 98115-5007 

-- _.~. _______ (G) 

12. Sponsoring Organization Mame and Address 

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 13. Type Of Retort 6 Penod Covered 

Fish and Wildlife Service Waterways Experiment Station 

National Wetlands Research Center P.O. Box 631 

Washington, DC 20240 Vicksburg, MS 39180 14. 

*U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Report No. TR EL-82-4 

1& Abstract (Limit: 2W words) 

Species profiles are summaries of literature on the taxonomy, morphology, 

range, life history, and environmental requirements of coastal finfishes and 

shellfishes. They are designed to assist in environmental impact assessment. 

Tautog (Tautoqa onitis) and cunner (Tautoqolabrus adsoersus) are common 

coastally distributed species along the northeast U.S. Both species are active 

during the day and require shelter sites at night, when they are inactive. 

They also require overwintering shelter when torpid. Cunner are omnivorous, 

feeding on a variety of primarily benthic species; tautog feed primarily on 

mussels (Mvtilus edulis). Tautog spawn from mid-May to mid-August and cunner 

from early May to late August. Longevity of cunner, the smaller of the two 

species, is 6 years and that of tautog, the larger species,is about 34 years. 

Due to their nocturnal and low-temperature inactivity, these species are unable 

to avoid short-term detrimental environmental disturbances. Since they 

undertake no long-distance migrations, they are key indicators of site-specific 

stress along the coast. 

17. Document Analysis a. Dewripton 

i-? 

b. Identlfien/Open.Endcd Terms 

Tautog 

Tautoaa onitis 

Cunner 

Tautoqolabrus adspersus 

Life history 

Ecological role 

Environmental requirements 

c. COSATI Field/Group 

lb Availability Statement 

Unlimited release 

19. Sssur~ty Class (Thos Report) 

Unclassified 

20. Security Class (This Page) 

Unclassified 

21. No. of Pages 

13 

22. Price 

(See ANSI-239.18) OPTIONAL FORM 272 (4-77) 

(Formerly NTIS-35) 

Department of Commerce 
Species proiiies : 25338 

Auster, Peter J, liii55 .Sbj no.82 
As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of 

the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned 

public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the 

wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish 

and wildlife, preserving the environmental and cultural values of our 

national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses 

our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their 

development is in the best interests of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation 

communities and for people who live in island territories under U.S. 

administration. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 

in America 

UNITED STATES 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 

National Wetlands Research Center 

NASA-Slide11 Computer Complex 

1010 Gause Boulevard 

Slidell, LA 70458 

POBTADE AND FEEB PAID 

&a. DaPAaTMEwT OF THE INTERIOR 

INl-423 

OFFICIAL BUSINESS 

PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE, $300