Scup

This article is about a type of fish. For the organization whose acronym is SCUP, see Society for College and University Planning.

Scup
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Sparidae
Genus: Stenotomus
Species:
S. chrysops
Binomial name
Stenotomus chrysops
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms[2]
  • Sparus chrysops Linnaeus, 1766
  • Sparus argyrops Linnaeus, 1766
  • Sparus zanthurus Lacépède, 1802
  • Sparus violaceus Shaw, 1803
  • Labrus versicolor Mitchill, 1815
  • Chrysophrys aculeata Valenciennes, 1830
  • Sargus arenosus De Kay, 1842
  • Cynaedus brama Gronow, 1854
  • Sargus ambassis Günther, 1859
  • Mimocubiceps virginiae Fowler, 1944
Flash-fried whole scup

The scup (Stenotomus chrysops) is a fish that occurs primarily in the Atlantic from Massachusetts to South Carolina.[3] Along with many other fish of the family Sparidae, it is also commonly known as porgy.[4]

Scup grow as large as 18 in (460 mm) and weigh 3–4 lb (1.4–1.8 kg), but they average 0.5–1.0 lb (0.23–0.45 kg). Scup can live up to 20 years; females can begin to reproduce at the age of two.[5] Every year female scups lay approximately 7,000 eggs in sand and weed abundant areas.[6]

In the Middle Atlantic Bight, scup spawn along the inner continental shelf. Their larvae end up in inshore waters, along the coast and in estuarine areas. At two to three years of age, they mature. Scup winter along the mid and outer continental shelf. When the temperature warms in the spring, they migrate inshore.[7]

They are fished for by both commercial and recreational fishermen. The scup fishery is one of the oldest in the United States, with records dating back to 1800. Scup was the most abundant fish in colonial times. Fishermen began using trawls in 1929, which increased catches dramatically. The species was termed overfished in 1996, and today there is evidence of a rebound. Today, scup are still caught primarily using an otter trawl.[8]

  1. ^ Carpenter, K.E. (2014). "Stenotomus chrysops". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T170168A1286359. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T170168A1286359.en. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Stenotomus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Stenotomus chrysops". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 19 March 2006.
  4. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Stenotomus chrysops". FishBase. January 2006 version.
  5. ^ Fisheries, NOAA (2020-07-21). "Scup | NOAA Fisheries". NOAA. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  6. ^ "Learn about: Scup". Mass.gov. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  7. ^ Fisheries, NOAA (September 1, 2021). "New England/Mid-Atlantic | NOAA Fisheries". NOAA.
  8. ^ "Wild Domestic Scup Recommendation from Seafood Watch". www.seafoodwatch.org. Archived from the original on 2015-07-13.