Scup (Stenotomus chrysops)

Biology: Scup are found from Massachusetts to South Carolina. The are small, vertically flat fish, weighing between 1/2 lb. and 1 lb. They are found inshore from May until October.  They school with other scup of similar sizes on smooth and rocky bottoms, and are plentiful around rocks, piers, and mussel beds. Scup prey on crabs, worms, clams, mussels, jellyfish, and sand dollars. Their predators include cod, bluefish, and weakfish.

Sustainability status: Scup stocks are in good shape and overfishing is not occurring. More information is available here.

Harvest: We catch scup using pots (traps), with clam bellies as bait. Scup can also be caught using gillnets, longlines, floating fish traps, trawl nets, and rod and reel.

Nutritional facts: Scup are high in protein, niacin, phosphorous, vitamins B6 and B12, and selenium. A 100-gram portion of scup contains 18.88 grams of protein, 36.5 mcg selenium, 105 calories, 2.73 grams of fat, 52 mg cholesterol, and 42 mg sodium.

Available whole, year round.

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