Species Profile - Tautog

Tautog

Tautog are a favorite bottom dwelling recreational species that Massachusetts anglers love to target in the spring and fall. Members of the wrasse (Labridae) family the coloration of individuals varies widely and is usually dictated by their juvenile habitat (growing to closely match their surroundings). Body colors range from gray to olive green and also brown and black, and juveniles may also have banding bars of varying color. As mature fish, the colors are most often brown to black with little to no patterns, with the largest fish exhibiting white chins.

Tautog are slow growing and in Massachusetts can live to around 20 years. Males and females are sexually mature at three to four years of age but often don’t reach recreationally legal size until around seven years. The growth rates for tautog vary greatly in Massachusetts waters, with a wide range of ages represented in many different size classes of fish.

During spring, as the water warms, tautog migrate inshore to spawn in nearshore coastal waters. They may remain inshore throughout the summer, then move to deeper offshore wintering areas as fall approaches and water temperatures drop below 52°F. Toward the southern end of their range, some adults may remain offshore throughout the year. Tautog are voracious feeders, preferring shellfish and other invertebrates as adults. They are often grouped around structures such as rock piles and boulders and are quite territorial.

Ranging from Canada to South Carolina, tautog are largely targeted by recreational anglers from Massachusetts to North Carolina. Historically, the recreational catch of tautog was the vast majority of the total annual catch, but the commercial fishery for tautog has increased with the rising demand for live fish in certain markets.

The current status of the tautog stock in the Massachusetts region (which includes Massachusetts and Rhode Island) is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring. The tautog stock on the Atlantic coast is currently managed in four stock regions due to differences in biology, fishery characteristics, and the fish having limited movement along the coast. Currently in all of those regions overfishing is not occurring but in the New Jersey to New York Bight region the stock is overfished.