Penobscot Bay's Fishes & Shellfishes, circa 1994

In the early 1990s NOAA carried out a survey of estuary fishes along the United States' North Atlantic Coast, charting abundance and distribution in bays along the North Atlantic Coast. The survey Distribution and abundance of fishes and invertebrates in North Atlantic estuaries included Penobscot Bay.  Below are the fish and shellfish  that were detected in Penobscot Bay in that 1994 survey.

ELMR North Atlantic Species in Penobscot Bay, surveyed by NOAA, 1994

Blue mussel Mytilus edulis Mytilidea
Sea scallop Placopeclen magellanicus  Pectinidae
American oyster Crassostrea virginica Ostreidae   USFC
Northern quahog Mercenaria mercinaria  Veneridae
Softshell clam  Mya arenaria   Myidae

Green sea urchin Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis Strongylocentrotidae

Daggerblade grass shrimp Pelaemonetes pugio Palaemonidae
Northern shrimp Pandalus borealis Pandalidae
Sevenspine bay shrimp Crangon septemspinosa Crangonidae
American lobster Homarus americanus  Nephropidae
Jonah crab Cancer borealis Canceridae
Atlantic rock crab Cancer irroratus Canceridae
Green crab Cancer Maenas Portunidae

Blueback herring Alosa aestivalis Clupeidae
Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus Clupeidae
American shad Alosa sapidissima Clupeidae
Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus Clupeidae
Atlantic herring Clupea harengus Clupeidae
Flainbow smelt Osmerus mordax Osmeridae

Atlantic salmon Salmo salar  Salmonidae

Atlantic cod Gadus morhua Gadidae
Haddock  Melanogrammus aeglefinus  Gadidae
Silver hake Merlucccius bilinearis Gadidae
Atlantic tomcod  Microgadus tomcod Gadidae
Pollock Pollachius virens Gadidae
Red hake Urophycis chuss Gadidae
White hake Urophycis tenuis  Gadidae

White perch Morone americana Percichthyidae
Striped bass Morone saxatilis Percichthyidae
Bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix Pomatomidae

Scup  Stenotomus chrysops Sparidae
Tautog Tautoga onitis Labridae
Cunner Tautogolabrus adspersus Labridae
Ocean pout  Macrozoarces americansus Zoarcldae
Rock gunnel Pholis gunnellus Pholidae
American sand lance Ammodytes americanus Ammodytidae

Atlantic mackerel Scomber scombrus Scombridae
Butterfish Peprilus triacanthus Stromateidae

Windowpane flounder Scophthalmus aquosus Bothidae
American plaice Hippoglossoides platessoides Pleuronectidae
Winter flounder Pleuronectes americansus  Pleuronectidae
Yellowtail flounder Pleurontectes ferrugineus Pleuronectidae
Smooth flounder Pleuronectes putnami Pleuronectidae

Mummichogs Fundulus heteroclitus Cyprinodontidae
Silversides Menidia species Atherinidae
Fourspine stickleback Apeltes quadracus Gasterosteidae
Threespine sticklebeck Gasterosteus aculeatus Gasterostaidae
Ninespine stickleback  Pungitius pungitius  Gasterosteidae

Spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias Squalidae
Skates Raja species Rajidae
Shortnose sturgeon Aclnenser brevirostrum Acipenseridae
Atlantic sturgeon Acioenser oxyrhynchus Acipenseridae
American eel Anguilla rostrata  Anguillidae

Northern pipefish Syngnathus fuscus,Syngnathidae
Northern searobin Prionotus carolinus Triglidae
Grubby Myoxocephalus aenaeus Cottidae
Longhorn sculpin Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus Cottidae
Shorthorn sculpin Myoxocephalus scorpius Coltidae