KENDALL and REINTJES: DISTRIBUTION OF ATLANTIC MENHADEN EGGS AND LARVAE 



tow catching 2,553 fish. No differences in larval 

 catches or size v^ere found in shallow and deep 

 tows or during day or night. Small larvae, less than 

 8 mm, were taken from June through February, 

 indicating a protracted spawning period. 

 However, there was a seasonal shift in area of 

 spawning. In late spring and summer limited 

 spawning was occurring off New Jersey and New 

 York. By early fall spawning was widespread from 

 southern New England to Virginia. By late fall 

 and early winter spawning was limited to areas 

 between Delaware and North Carolina. Larger 

 larvae were taken in the north in late fall and 

 south of Delaware Bay in winter and spring. 



Larvae occurred over a wide range of tempera- 

 ture, from 0° to 25°C. Several were taken in 

 waters cooler than the 3°C limit found lethal in 

 laboratory tests and inferred to be limiting in inlet 

 sampling studies. Most larvae were collected at 

 temperatures between 15° and 20°C. There was an 

 inverse relationship between temperature and 

 size of larvae. 



Salinity seemed to have little influence on the 

 distribution of larvae. They occurred at practically 

 every salinity encountered and the frequency of 

 salinities closely resembled the frequency of posi- 

 tive tows. 



Our findings are similar to recent investigations 

 of early life history of Atlantic menhaden based on 

 inlet sampling of larvae, gonad studies, and scale 

 annulus formation. It appears that spawning and 

 early development at sea take place over a long 

 period in a given coastal area, and the larvae 

 resulting from this spawning may reach the inlets 

 over a long seasonal time. In years with mild 

 winters, successful immigration to estuarine areas 

 may occur before the winter temperature 

 minimum. However, under more severe condi- 

 tions, when winter temperatures in the estuaries 

 fall below 3°C, successful immigration may occur 

 only as temperatures are increasing in spring 

 because larvae entering estuaries during the fall 

 may not survive the winter. This could account for 

 some of the annual variation in year-class 

 strength of Atlantic menhaden. 



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