Weakfish

More than 250 fish species use the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries for some portion of their life cycles, including American and hickory shad, river herring, striped bass, eel, weakfish, bluefish, flounder, oysters, and blue crabs. More than 300 migratory bird species can also be found in the watershed.

Weakfishes have no adipose fin, such as fresh-water trouts possess:[…].

Larger fish tend to migrate farther north than smaller ones; thus, the New England weakfish fishery may possess a higher percentage of large individuals than is characteristic of the coastwide fishery. Weakfish tend to move about in schools of similar-sized individuals.

The weakfish is referred to as a gray trout from Maryland south, mainly to separate it from the spotted seatrout (p. 36), which is found in the southern portion of the weakfish’s range. Weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) look very much like a freshwater trout, although they exhibit few characteristics of this species.

The weakfish is also a member of the Sciaenidae family, and its name refers to the tender, easily torn membrane in the fish's mouth, not its fighting ability.