Maryland Fish Facts

Scup

Scup

Stenotomus chrysops

(A.K.A. Porgy, Maiden, Fair maid, Ironsides, Northern porgy)

Key Distinguishing Markings:

Scup are deep-bodied (deeper from back to belly than they are wide).
They are dusky brown with bright silvery reflections below and spiny fins.
Adult fins are mottled with dark brown, and young scup fins may be faintly barred.
Scup’s front teeth are very narrow, almost conical, and they have two rows of molars in the upper jaw.
Longspine porgy look similar to scup, but can be easily identified by the elongated spines on their backs.

Distribution:

Scup undergo an extensive migration between coastal waters in the summer and offshore waters (outer continental shelf) in winter.
They migrate offshore and south in the fall, returning north and inshore to coastal areas and bays in spring.
Scup are found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, primarily between Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Size:

Habitat:

Spawning:

Scup are able to reproduce when they reach age 2, when they’re about 8 inches long.
They spawn over weedy or sandy areas in southern New England from Massachusetts Bay south to the New York Bight from May through August, with peak activity in June.
Individual scup spawn once a year.
Most fish spawn at night, but scientists believe scup spawn in the morning.
Females release an average of 7,000 eggs, which are fertilized externally.

Fishing Tips:

When fishing in shallow water, the fish can be a bit boat shy and the best bite may be several feet behind the boat.
Keep your chum close, but drop your baits further back to target the biggest fish.
Always being enough chum and do your best to fish where there is at least some current (to spread the chum).
If you are catching smaller fish, pick up your anchor and find another spot.
Drifting can also be effective when trying to find bigger fish. Once they are located, you can consider anchoring and chumming.

Fun Fact:

Family: Sparidae (sea breams and porgies)

Order: Perciformes ("perch-like")

Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)

References:

Maryland Department of Natural Resources