Hog Choker
Trinectes maculatus
Image by Florida Fish and Wildlife on Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Physical: Hogchokers are flat, right-sided fish. The eyes and mouth are small and are located on the right side of the body when looking from above. They are dark olive to brown in coloration and speckled white. Individuals average 6 inches in length. T. maculatus has no pectoral (chest) fins.
Habitat: T. maculatus are found off the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of North America, from Massachusetts to Panama. They are rarely found north of Cape Cod, and are most common directly along the coast.
Feeding: Mature individuals of T. maculatus feed primarily on worms and a variety of small crustaceans such as krill.
Breeding: The hogchoker is a late spring and summer spawner, breeding from May to August. A mature female produces 54,000 eggs over the course of her life.
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