These areas are also utilized for summer feeding by adults. During the inshore migrations, large fish arrive first, followed by successive waves or runs of smaller individuals, suggesting that scup school by size. About half of scup are sexually mature by age 2. Scup spawn once a year, with spawning occurring over weed and sandy covered areas. Scup spawn from May to August at various locations along the coast with peak spawning activity in June.
Scup produce transparent, buoyant eggs that are spherical.
Fertilized scup eggs hatch in 40 hours at 72 o C. Threats to Habitat Scup are exposed to the full range of human activities and environmental conditions during their life history. Detrimental amounts of toxic organic and inorganic contaminants, such as heavy metals, PCBs, and petroleum hydrocarbons in the various physical compartments of the marine ecosystem. This is particularly true for sediments in the Mid-Atlantic Bight that receive contaminated dredged materials, sewage sludge, and industrial wastes. Generally, the nations most contaminated estuaries are in highly urban areas such as those around the Mid-Atlantic coast. Chemical contaminants of coastal waters include inputs from municipal and industrial waste water, agricultural waste water, agricultural pesticides and fertilizers, animal waste, urban nonpoint sources, storm water runoff, and atmospheric deposition.