[Captain Cal II]

Tautog ( tautoga onitis), also referred to as blackfish, are members of the wrasse family that live along the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia down to northern Florida, but generally tend to be most prevalent between Cape Cod and Virginia. They prefer habitats that are adjacent to rocky bottoms, wrecks and other structure, they can be fairly easy to locate, but for the same reason, can be challenging to land. The tautog feed primarily upon crustaceans, mollusks and invertebrates , possessing large teeth in front of their mouth and flat teeth in the back for crushing and grinding. Its body color ranges from a mottled dark green to black, with larger specimens often displaying a white chin. While they can exceed 20 pounds in weight,, the ones most often taken by sport anglers weigh between 3 and 10 pounds. The tautog's firm, white and mild fillets, make it a favorite at the table as well..