ATLANTIC CROAKER
(06/10 NCDMF)

Stock Status – Concern – A benchmark stock assessment was conducted in 2010 by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). The ASMFC cautionary trigger exercise for croaker was not performed in 2009 since a stock assessment was conducted. In North Carolina commercial landings have increased 5.9% from 2008, but are still below the 10-yr average. This is a recruitment driven stock where abundance fluctuates in response to large year classes.

Average Commercial Landings and Value – 2000-2009 – 10,027,985 lbs./$3,159,521

2009 Commercial Landings and Value – 6,135,427 lbs./$3,003,858

Average Recreational Landings - 2000-2009 – 204,480 lbs., 2009– 123,902 lbs.

Average Number of Award Citations (3 lbs.) – 2000-2009 – 4, 2009 – 0

Status of Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) – In North Carolina, Atlantic croaker is currently included in the Interjurisdictional FMP, which defers to ASMFC/South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC) FMP compliance requirements. An ASMFC FMP was initially approved in 1987, with the most recent review approved in November 2005. The ASMFC approved Amendment 1 to the FMP in November 2005. Amendment 1 recommends the establishment of biological reference points to allow for resource management on a coast wide basis, the restoration and maintenance of essential habitat, and the development of research needs to improve future stock assessments. A benchmark stock assessment was conducted in 2010.

Research and Data Needs – Continued collection of information on the biology and population dynamics including growth, age structure, reproductive biology, migration, mortality, and stock structure.

Current Regulations – None

Harvest Season – Year round

Size and Age at Maturity – Males: 5-9 inches total length (TL)/ 2 –3 years; Females: 7 -9 inches TL/2 -3 years

Historical and Current Maximum Age – 15 years/13 years

Juvenile Abundance Index - 2000-2009 – 257.2, 2009 – 232.3

Habits and Habitats – Atlantic croaker inhabit mud and sand-bottom areas and feed chiefly on crustaceans, worms, mollusks, detritus, and small fishes. Atlantic croaker have a protracted spawning season with a peak during October in North Carolina. The pelagic eggs and recently hatched larvae drift toward land. Later, the advanced larval stages and juveniles continue their migration inshore by actively swimming into estuarine nursery areas. Maximum recruitment of juvenile fish is usually in the spring, with movement to offshore waters in the fall.

For more information, contact Eric Fitzpatrick by email at Eric.Fitzpatrick@ncdenr.gov (800-338-7804 or 252-948-3884).