Tautog
Encyclopedia
The tautog or blackfish also known as the "poor-man's lobster" (tô'tôg', -tŏg', tô-tôg', -tŏg'), Tautoga onitis, is a fish of the wrasse
family found in salt water from Nova Scotia
to Georgia
. It lives along the bottom, in and amongst rocks, wrecks, mussel beds, bridge pilings or other bottom features.
Barlett (1848) wrote "[Tautaug] is an Indian word, and may be found in Roger Williams
' Key to the Indian Language." The name is from the Narragansett
language, originally tautauog (pl. of taut). It is also called a "black porgy" (cf. Japanese black porgy
), "chub" (cf. the freshwater chub
) , "oyster-fish" (in North Carolina) or "blackfish" (in New York/New Jersey, New England).
Tautog have many adaptations to life in and around rocky areas. They have thick rubbery lips and powerful jaws. The backs of their throats contain a set of teeth resembling molars. Together these are used to pick and crush prey such as mollusks and crustacean
s. Their skin also has a rubbery quality with a heavy slime covering, which helps to protect them when swimming among rocks.
Davidson recommends grilling, baking, and using it in fish chowder
.
, fiddler crab
s, clam
s, shrimp
, mussel
s, sandworm
s and lobster
s. Tautog fishing may also be tricky because most fishermen try to set the hook as soon as they feel a hit. You have to wait for the tautog to swallow the crab or whatever bait you're using. When tautog fishing, try to use rigs with minimal beads, swivels and hooks as they may cause you to get caught in the rocks, reefs or wrecks.
Because they are often found in wrecks, they are often seen by scuba divers. They are also popular with spearfishermen
, as they are remarkably calm in the presence of divers and are relatively easy to spear.
The eggs hatch and develop while drifting. The young take residence in shallow protected waters and live and hide in seaweed
, sea lettuce
or eelgrass
beds for protection, and are green in color in order to camouflage themselves.
During the late fall, they move offshore and winter in a state of reduced activity.
, which aired in July 2008.
Wrasse
The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 82 genera, which are divided into nine subgroups or tribes....
family found in salt water from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. It lives along the bottom, in and amongst rocks, wrecks, mussel beds, bridge pilings or other bottom features.
Barlett (1848) wrote "[Tautaug] is an Indian word, and may be found in Roger Williams
Roger Williams (theologian)
Roger Williams was an English Protestant theologian who was an early proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. In 1636, he began the colony of Providence Plantation, which provided a refuge for religious minorities. Williams started the first Baptist church in America,...
' Key to the Indian Language." The name is from the Narragansett
Narragansett (tribe)
The Narragansett tribe are an Algonquian Native American tribe from Rhode Island. In 1983 they regained federal recognition as the Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island. In 2009, the United States Supreme Court ruled against their request that the Department of Interior take land into trust...
language, originally tautauog (pl. of taut). It is also called a "black porgy" (cf. Japanese black porgy
Japanese black porgy
The Japanese black porgy or sea bream, Acanthopagrus schlegelii, is a fish often farmed for food in Japan. It is one of the most popular fishes for game fishing in Japan....
), "chub" (cf. the freshwater chub
Chub
The European chub , sometimes called the round chub, fat chub, chevin, pollard or simply "the" chub, is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae...
) , "oyster-fish" (in North Carolina) or "blackfish" (in New York/New Jersey, New England).
Description
Tautog are brown and dark olive, with white blotches, and have plump elongated bodies. They have an average weight of 1 to 3 lb (0.45359237 to 1.4 kg) and reach a maximum size of 3 ft (0.9144 m), 25 pounds (11.3 kg).Tautog have many adaptations to life in and around rocky areas. They have thick rubbery lips and powerful jaws. The backs of their throats contain a set of teeth resembling molars. Together these are used to pick and crush prey such as mollusks and crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s. Their skin also has a rubbery quality with a heavy slime covering, which helps to protect them when swimming among rocks.
Cuisine
Goode (1884) said "The tautog has always been a favorite table fish, especially in New York, its flesh being white, dry, and of a delicate flavor."Davidson recommends grilling, baking, and using it in fish chowder
Chowder
In North America Chowder is a generic name for a wide variety of seafood or vegetable stews and thickened soups, often with milk or cream. Some varieties are traditionally thickened with crushed ship biscuit instead of flour, which is more usual...
.
Sports fishing
Popular among fishermen, tautog have a reputation for being a particularly tricky fish to catch. Part of this is because of their tendency to live among rocks and other structures that can cause a fisherman’s line to get snagged. The favorite baits for tautog include: green crabsCarcinus maenas
Carcinus maenas is a common littoral crab, and an important invasive species, listed among the 100 "world's worst alien invasive species". It is native to the north-east Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea, but has colonised similar habitats in Australia, South Africa, South America and both Atlantic and...
, fiddler crab
Fiddler crab
A fiddler crab, sometimes known as a calling crab, may be any of approximately 100 species of semi-terrestrial marine crabs which make up the genus Uca. As members of the family Ocypodidae, fiddler crabs are most closely related to the ghost crabs of the genus Ocypode. This entire group is composed...
s, clam
Clam
The word "clam" can be applied to freshwater mussels, and other freshwater bivalves, as well as marine bivalves.In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs...
s, shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s, sandworm
Sandworm
Sandworm may refer to:Living animals :* Arenicola marina , called "sandworm" in the UK* Nereis virens , called "sandworm" in the US...
s and lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
s. Tautog fishing may also be tricky because most fishermen try to set the hook as soon as they feel a hit. You have to wait for the tautog to swallow the crab or whatever bait you're using. When tautog fishing, try to use rigs with minimal beads, swivels and hooks as they may cause you to get caught in the rocks, reefs or wrecks.
Because they are often found in wrecks, they are often seen by scuba divers. They are also popular with spearfishermen
Spearfishing
Spearfishing is an ancient method of fishing that has been used throughout the world for millennia. Early civilizations were familiar with the custom of spearing fish from rivers and streams using sharpened sticks....
, as they are remarkably calm in the presence of divers and are relatively easy to spear.
Life cycle
Spawning occurs offshore, in late spring to early summerThe eggs hatch and develop while drifting. The young take residence in shallow protected waters and live and hide in seaweed
Seaweed
Seaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
, sea lettuce
Sea lettuce
The sea lettuces comprise the genus Ulva, a group of edible green algae that is widely distributed along the coasts of the world's oceans. The type species within the genus Ulva is Ulva lactuca Linnaeus, "lactuca" meaning lettuce...
or eelgrass
Zostera
Zostera is a small genus of widely distributed seagrass, commonly called marine eelgrass or simply eelgrass . The genus Zostera contains sixteen species.-Ecology:Zostera is found on sandy substrates or in estuaries submerged or partially floating...
beds for protection, and are green in color in order to camouflage themselves.
During the late fall, they move offshore and winter in a state of reduced activity.
Management
Tautog populations are at low levels, and their slow reproduction and growth make them more vulnerable to overfishing. The species is managed by focusing on reducing fishing mortality rates, as well as restrictions on gear, size limits, possession limits, and limited fishing seasons. Around 1920, 750 tons were harvested annually off the New England coast.In popular culture
The Tautog was the "secret ingredient" in the "Battle Blackfish" episode of Iron Chef AmericaIron Chef America
Iron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the...
, which aired in July 2008.