Outreach and Educational Materials
Informational Pamphlets and Coloring Books
Species Profiles
Click on the plus sign beside species names below to learn more about them! This is not an exhaustive list of all marine species in Rhode Island, but these are some that you may encounter in Narragansett Bay, the Coastal Ponds, Rhode Island Sound, or Block Island Sound. Species are grouped by fish, invertebrates, plants, marine mammals, and reptiles.
Fish
For more detailed information and a more complete list of fish in Rhode Island waters, check out our new book: Marine Fishes of Rhode Island.
Scomber scombrus
Note that other species of mackerel occur here too: Atlantic chub mackerel and sometimes even Spanish mackerel
Identification: Atlantic Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) are a schooling fish that grows to about 15 inches in length. These fish have a large, forked tail (caudal) fin. The main feature used to identify menhaden is the dark spot that can be found just behind the gill plate. Towards the head, menhaden have a toothless mouth which is used for feeding on plankton.
Habitat: Atlantic menhaden prefer to live in coastal waters or estuaries all along the Atlantic coast of the US. Menhaden are a schooling fish and can often be found in large schools near the water’s surface.
Species Info: Atlantic Menhaden, sometimes called “Pogie” or “Bunker” are a small, schooling fish that feeds on plankton in the water column. Atlantic Menhaden are an ecologically important species in local waters because of their place in the food chain. Menhaden are preyed upon by many species, including Striped Bass, Bluefish, and other predatory fish.
Regulations & Management: The fishery for Atlantic Menhaden is one of the most important Atlantic coast fisheries, due to the importance of this species commercially, and ecologically. For these reasons, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission manages Menhaden under the Interstate fishery management plan. This plan Divides a total catch limit (quota) between Atlantic coast states. This ensures that Menhaden harvest is kept at healthy levels for the entire coast.
Rhode Island Minimum Size & Possession limits can be found here: Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Sources:
Identification: Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata) are typically a black or dusky brown color, with slightly lighter colors on their belly. During spawning, the dominant males turn bright blue with a blue hump on their heads. They have long dorsal fins, which often exhibit white spots and bands. The forward portion of the dorsal fin is spiny, with the rear being soft. Their tail (caudal) fin often features a tendril which extends from the top of the fin. Black sea bass have large mouths with small teeth
Habitat & Species Info: Black Sea Bass can be found along the U.S. East Coast. They are a temperate reef species, and therefore prefer habitats with structure, such as reefs, oyster beds, rock outcroppings, or even wrecks. They migrate offshore in the winter months and come back inshore during the spring as the water temperatures start increasing. Black Sea Bass females can live for up to 8 years, while males can live up to 12 years. These fish are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that most are born female, and can then transition into a male as they grow and mature. This process usually happens at sizes around 9-13 inches. When fully grown, these fish can reach sizes up to 24 inches in length. Their diets consist of crabs, worms, shrimp, clams, and small fish.
Management & Regulations: Management of the black sea bass fishery is conducted cooperatively by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and NOAA Fisheries. The Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan is the tool used to manage these species. This management plan uses catch and landings limits to maintain the health of the fishery.
Rhode Island Minimum Size & Possession limits can be found here: Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Buy locally caught black sea bass! According to NOAA, black sea bass is a “smart seafood choice” thanks to sustainable management and responsible harvest. Here’s where to find what’s being caught by fishermen, and where buy locally caught black sea bass:
RI Seafood Finder | Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative
Weekly Landing Data | Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative
Sources:
Thunnus thynnus
Identification: Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), as their name implies, exhibit a blue-green color along their backs, transitioning to a silvery color on their belly. Bluefish have an athletic, streamlined profile, highlighted by their large, forked tail (caudal) fin. Another identifying feature of bluefish are their large eyes, which are often a distinct yellow color. Inside their large jaws, are a set of sharp, pointed teeth. Bluefish are a relatively large species, capable of reaching sizes upwards of 30 pounds, reaching lengths up to 40 inches.
Habitat & Species Info: Each year, Bluefish migrate north with warming waters in the spring, before retreating southward as waters cool down in the fall and winter. During the winter, Bluefish are generally found between North Carolina and Florida. The summer is when Bluefish return to Rhode Island, with their range shifting from Maine to North Carolina during warmer months. Bluefish are known to travel in massive schools, sometimes covering square miles of ocean. As their appearance suggests, Bluefish are well adapted to being predators, feeding on a wide variety of species of baitfish and squid. Spawning behavior of bluefish follows a similar pattern to other species, with the fish spawning during the spring and summer months of the year. Spawning happens offshore, with juvenile fish moving to more protected areas to grow.
Rhode Island Regulations & Management: The Bluefish fishery is managed cooperatively by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Mid Atlantic fishery management council, and NOAA fisheries. Specifically, the Bluefish Fishery Management Plan governs management of Bluefish. Under this management plan, yearly catch limits are set, preventing the overfishing of this fishery.
Rhode Island Minimum Size & Possession limits can be found here: Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Sources:
Blues in the Bay: All About Bluefish - Save The Bay
Sarda sarda
Rachycentron canadum
Gadus morhua
Tautogolabrus adspersus
Euthynnus alletteratus
Hippocampus erectus
Coryphaena hippurus
Lophius americanus
Menticirrhus saxatilis
Syngnathus fuscus
Sphoeroides maculatus
Prionotus carolinus
Opsanus tau
Identification: Scup (Stenotomus chrysops) are a deep-bodied fish exhibiting a shining silvery color. Scup often have faint patches of brown or pinkish colors along their sides, contrasted by a prominent dark lateral line running along the side of the fish. Scup feature a prominent spiny dorsal fin which stretches across the top of the fish. The tail (caudal) fin of the fish is deeply forked, shaped almost like a crescent moon (lunate). Scup have small mouths, which hold small, sturdy, conical teeth the fish use to feed on invertebrates that live on the ocean bottom. Mature scup can be as small as 8 inches in length but can grow to be as long as 20 inches.
Habitat & Species Info: Scup are a common species in Rhode Island waters. Especially in the summer, when their yearly migration patterns draw them inshore, towards areas like Narragansett Bay. The migration of scup is dictated by temperature, with fish starting the year offshore, near the continental shelf when the water is cold, before swimming inshore in the spring, starting around when water temperatures reach 45⁰. Once inshore, Scup will spawn during the summer, when the water temperature reaches ~68⁰. Scup return to their homes offshore as temperatures drop again in the winter. Rhode Island is just one of many coastal states that scup call home, with fish inhabiting waters from Cape cod, Massachusetts, to as far south as Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Regulations & Management: Scup management falls under Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan, which is cooperatively managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. This fishery management plan prescribes catch and landings limits to maintain the health of the fishery.
Minimum Sizes & Possession limits for scup can be found here: Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Buy locally caught Scup! According to NOAA, scup is a “smart seafood choice” thanks to sustainable management and responsible harvest. Here’s where to buy locally caught scup:
RI Seafood Finder | Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative
Weekly Landing Data | Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative
Sources:
Scup - Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass — Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
- Little skate - Leucoraja erinacea
- Winter skate - Leucoraja ocellata
- Barndoor skate - Dipturis laevis
- Clearnose skate - Raja eglanteria
- Thorny skate - Amblyraja radiata
- Smooth skate - Malacoraja senta
- Rosette skate - Leucoraja garmani
Squalus acanthias
Identification: Striped bass (Morone Saxatilis) are a large species, capable of exceeding 50 pounds in weight, and 45 inches in length. These fish have a streamlined body which is painted with a silver color near the belly, and an olive or brown color on top, overlayed by 7-8 dark horizontal stripes across the side of the fish’s body. Striped bass have two dorsal fins, the first of which contains several spines. Striped bass have a large mouth which possesses pads of gripping teeth, which feel similar to sandpaper.
Habitat & Species Info: Striped bass, often called “stripers” or “rockfish” are a frequently encountered species in Rhode Island for most of the year. The numbers of Stripers in Rhode Island vary depending on the time of year because of migration. In the spring, migration brings striped bass northward as far as Canada. In the fall, the migration flips, with the striped bass moving southward, chasing warmer waters and food. Striped bass are perhaps the most popular marine gamefish in the northeast. These fish have a broad diet, eating anything from small fish and eels, to crustaceans, worms, and squid.
Rhode Island Regulations & Management: The fishery for striped bass is managed by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission through the interstate fishery management plan. The management plan sets harvest limits to prevent overfishing.
Rhode Island Minimum Size & Possession limits can be found here: Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Sources:
Atlantic Striped Bass - Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
Atlantic Striped Bass | NOAA Fisheries
2007/01/11-VYNPS - SEIS Web Reference - Species Profiles: Striped Bass.
Prionotus evolans
Identification: Summer Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), sometimes called fluke, are a left-facing species of flatfish. Fluke are colored on their upper side. The side which faces the ocean floor is white. The colored side of their body is usually a brown or grayish color, allowing them to blend in with the surrounding ocean floor. These flatfish can change their coloration to better camouflage with the bottom type. One distinguishing feature of summer Flounder are the dark spots that often form an “X” pattern across their backs. At the head, summer flounder have large mouths filled with sharp, pointy teeth. Females can reach sizes up to 36 inches, which is larger than males, who can grow up to 24 inches.
Habitat & Species Info: Summer Flounder are ambush predators whose diet includes fish, squid, shrimp, and other invertebrates. They can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, being most common in the mid-Atlantic region. They prefer being on the ocean floor where they can cover themselves in sand or camouflage to hide from predators and can go unnoticed by prey. They are commonly found on sand flats, marsh creeks, and seagrass beds. Summer Flounder migrate offshore to spawn during the fall and early winter months. Their migration is dictated by seasonal changes in water temperature.
Regulations & Management: management of summer flounder fisheries is highly cooperative, with NOAA, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission all being involved. These organizations manage the summer flounder fishery in both state and federal waters. The Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bas Fishery Management Plan is the main tool used in the management of summer flounder. This fishery management plan uses catch limits and other tools to keep harvest at healthy and sustainable levels.
Rhode Island Minimum Size & Possession limits can be found here: Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Buy locally caught summer flounder! According to NOAA, summer flounder is a “smart seafood choice” thanks to sustainable management and responsible harvest. Here’s where to find what’s being caught by fishermen, and where to buy locally caught summer flounder:
RI Seafood Finder | Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative
Weekly Landing Data | Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative
Sources:
Summer Flounder | NOAA Fisheries
Summer Flounder - Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
Identification: Tautog (Tautoga onitis) are typically either a brown or black in color. Coloration of tautog can vary depending on sex and habitat, but typically they have an irregular pattern of dark and light spots, with a lighter grey or white belly. Males can be distinguished by their white chin, which protrudes downwards. Tautog have a distinct stout build with a blunt snout. Their mouths have thick lips and sturdy, robust teeth. Tautog typically grow to be around 3 to 7 pounds but can grow larger.
Habitat & Species Info: Tautog can be found along the East coast of North America, with the majority being found between Cape Cod and the Chesapeake Bay. Tautog prefer areas with structure, such as jetties, piers and even shipwrecks. As juveniles, they can be found utilizing vegetation in shallow waters for cover, and as they grow, they move to deeper coastal waters. With their blunt snout and strong jaws, tautog can scrape mussels and other shellfish from rocks on the bottom. They have sharp incisor-like teeth at the front of their mouth, and powerful molars at the back of their mouths, which are perfect for crushing the shells of their prey.
Management & Regulations: Tautog are managed regionally under a fishery management plan. In Rhode Island’s region, the stocks are at healthy levels, and the fishery is managed using minimum sizes, bag limits, seasonal closures, and yearly harvest limits (quotas).
Rhode Island Minimum Size & Possession limits can be found here: Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Buy locally caught tautog!
RI Seafood Finder | Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative
Weekly Landing Data | Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative
Sources:
Microgadus tomcod
Identification: Weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) typically reach sizes from 12-16 inches, but they can get larger. Weakfish possess a streamlined body exhibiting silvery white coloration along the belly which transitions to iridescent brown speckles along the back of the fish. The pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins are all highlighted with a bright yellow. The fish’s second dorsal fin is longer than its first. The mouth of the fish features distinct teeth, with a sharp row of pointed teeth along the bottom jaw, contrasted with two fangs fixed to the roof of the fish’s mouth.
Habitat & Species Info: Weakfish, also known as Squeteague, are somewhat uncommon in Rhode Island, thanks to both their range, and fishery depletion, which has been a lingering problem with this species since the 1990s. Although weakfish are found up and down the east coast from Nova Scotia, Canada to as far south as Florida, the majority the weakfish population sticks closer to the middle of that range, inhabiting waters between New York and North Carolina. This range leaves many weakfish south of Rhode Island. Weakfish typically like to eat smaller animals. Things like shrimp, smaller baitfish species, and crustaceans are all common prey items for Weakfish. Like many other marine fish native to Rhode Island, Weakfish are a migratory species, spending their winters offshore in the warmer waters down south. By the time the water warms up in the spring, weakfish move north, seeking shallower waters where they can spawn. After spawning, the fish hang around before heading southward as water temperatures drop in the fall.
Rhode Island Regulations & Management: Management of the Weakfish fishery is conducted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, through an interstate management plan. This plan promotes research to better understand weakfish population dynamics. Besides this, the plan also prescribes restrictions, by keeping young fish out of the fishery.
Minimum sizes & possession limits can be found here: Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Sources:
Identification: Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) are a right-facing flatfish. They have an oval shaped body with a straight lateral line and dark coloring on their upper side. Their coloring varies depending on their habitat, ranging from a reddish brown to an olive green. In some cases, they can even appear black, which is where they get their nickname “Black back”. The side that faces the ocean floor is white. Their coloration helps them to camouflage themselves with the surrounding ocean floor. Another distinguishing feature of winter flounder is their small, toothless mouth, and blunt snout.
Habitat & Species info: winter flounder are a flatfish native to Rhode Island, although they can be found as far north as Newfoundland, and as far south as North Carolina. Inside of this range, they are dispersed anywhere from estuaries, to as far out as the continental shelf. This dispersal between inshore and offshore waters depends largely on their migration. In the winter, these fish move inshore to spawn, where they prefer to live on sand, clay or gravel ocean floor. Their presence in nearshore waters during wintertime is where the name Winter Flounder comes from. During the late spring and summertime, they make their way offshore. Winter Flounder have quite small mouths, because of this they are limited to eating smaller prey. They prefer to feed during the day, with their diet consisting of worms, clams, shrimp, and small invertebrates.
Regulations & Management: In federal waters, winter flounder are managed cooperatively by NOAA and the New England Fishery Management Council. In State waters, management is coordinated by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the New England Fishery Management Council, through the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (Groundfish FMP). This fishery management plan prescribes a variety of measures, to ensure the health of the fishery, and maintain sustainable harvest levels.
Rhode Island Minimum Size & Possession limits can be found here: Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Buy locally caught winter flounder! According to NOAA, winter flounder is a “smart seafood choice” thanks to sustainable management and responsible harvest. Here’s where to buy locally caught winter flounder:
RI Seafood Finder | Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative
Weekly Landing Data | Rhode Island Seafood Marketing Collaborative
Sources:
Thunnus albacares
Invertebrates
There are thousands of marine invertebrates in Rhode Island. This is just a small sampling of species that may be of interest.
Identification: The American Lobster (Homarus americanus) is a well-known staple of Rhode Island. They can be identified by their large shrimp-like body, with an olive green or greenish brown coloring. They have two larger claws in the front, where the biggest one is used for crushing and the smaller one is used for shredding.
Habitat: The American Lobster can be found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean in coastal waters or offshore depths of up to 2,300 feet. They live on the ocean floor in laces where they can easily find shelter, such as rocky areas, mud bottoms, or underwater canyons. These lobsters are very territorial and live alone.
Species Info: The smaller lobsters closer to the coast do not travel much, while the larger lobsters further out travel much more. They migrate during the springtime, sometimes traveling 50 to 190 miles.
Rhode Island Regulations & Management: Rhode Island Minimum Size & Possession limits can be found here: Marine Fisheries Minimum Sizes & Possession Limits | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Lobsters, Crabs and Other Crustaceans - Rhode Island Department of State
Sources: American Lobster | NOAA Fisheries
Limulus polyphemus
Cancer irroratus
Callinectes sapidus
Callinectes sapidus
Mytilus edulis
Crassostrea virginica
Jellies include cnidarians and ctenophores. Both are gelatinous marine animals but they belong to different phyla, meaning they are not closely related. They may all have gelatinous bodies, but these groups move and feed differently. For example, cnidarians contain stinging cells called cnidocytes, while ctenophores do not sting. Here are a few of the species you may encounter in Rhode Island. More information is available in our Learn about Jellies PDF linked at the top of this webpage under Educational Materials and Coloring Books.
- Cnidarians
- True Jellies
- Sea Nettle and Atlantic Bay Nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha and Chrysaora chesapeakei)
- Lion's Mane (Cyanea capillata)
- Mauve Stinger (Pelagia noctiluca)
- Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita)
- Siphonophores
- Portuguese Man O' War (Physalia physalis)
- True Jellies
- Ctenophores
- Northern Comb Jelly (Bolinopsis infundibulum)
- Sea Walnut (Mnemiopsis leidyi)
- Sea Gooseberry (Pleurobrachia pileus)
- Other - tunicates are sometimes mistaken for jellies due to their transparent appearance
- Salps
Cancer borealis
Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii
This species is sometimes called loligo squid due to an older scientific name. Loligo is now Doryteuthis.
Arctica islandica
Mercenaria mercenaria
Placopecten magellanicus
Mya arenaria
Spisula solidissima
- Knobbed whelk - Busycon carica
- Channeled whelk - Busycotypus canaliculatus
Marine Plants
Rhode Island is home to a plethora of seaweeds. Here we highlight just a few species of interest, mostly because they provide valuable habitat to marine fish and invertebrates.
Zostera marina
- Saccharina latissima
- Winged kelp (Alaria esculenta)
- Skinny kelp (Saccharina angustissima)
- Horsetail kelp (Laminaria digitata)
Marine Mammals
Rhode Island is home to a variety of marine mammals including seals and whales. Most of these species are migratory and spend a portion of the year transiting through the area. Other marine mammals do occur in Rhode Island waters on occasion. For example, beluga whales and manatees have been documented here, but these instances are rare.
All marine mammals are federally protected species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and/or the Endangered Species Act (ESA), so make sure to keep your distance if you are lucky enough to see one. For more information on how to respond to an injured seal or whale, please see Protected Species Response.
Balaenoptera musculus
Tursiops truncatus
Delphinus delphis
Balaenoptera physalus
Halichoerus grypus
Phocoena phocoena
Phoca vitulina
Pagophilus groenlandicus
Megaptera novaeangliae
Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Eubalaena glacialis
Balaenoptera borealis
Physeter macrocephalus
Lagenorhynchus acutus
Reptiles
Rhode Island has five species of sea turtle that may visit the area at different times of year. Sea turtles are protected species, so make sure to keep your distance if you are lucky enough to see one. For more information on how to respond to an injured sea turtle, please see Protected Species Response.
Chelonia mydas
Eretmochelys imbricata
Lepidochelys kempii
Dermochelys coriacea
Caretta caretta