Hobbies And Interests
Diet
Silver seatrout have a diet that consists mostly of small fish and crustaceans like shrimp that are abundant in the area. According to the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, the trout live mostly in the northern Gulf of Mexico, although they are also normally found around southern Florida and southern Texas. The fish can live in the brackish waters of bays, estuaries and inshore waters out to depths of 100 feet.
Appearance
The silver seatrout is a small fish whose adult size does not normally exceed 10 inches in length. Its weight is usually under half a pound. It has large eyes and a short snout, according to Fishing-Florida.com. Compared to the sand seatrout and the spotted seatrout, which share its range, the silver seatrout is smaller. It migrates into the warmer inshore waters during cold weather.
Fisheries
Silver seatrout generally prefer waters with temperatures ranging from about 40 degrees to 86 degrees F. Sport fishermen who bottom fish for silver seatrout typically bait their hooks with cut fish and shrimp, but it is not a major gamefish because of its small size. The flesh of the seatrout makes good eating, but has a soft texture. The trout is an important part of the commercial bottom fishery. It is commonly processed for pet food, according to Audubon Guides.
Additional Information
During warmer months, the silver seatrout migrates into deeper water to spawn. The fish probably spawn more than once during their lives. There is high mortality among the young. The survivors mature within a year, according to "Evolutionary associations between sand seatrout (Cynoscion arenarius) and silver seatrout (C. nothus)". Silver seatrout are relatively low on the food chain. They are prey for larger fish and fishermen often use them as bait for larger gamefish.