DAHLBERG: ECOLOGICAL STUDY OF GEORGIA COASTAL FISHES 



taken from July to November at salinities and 

 temperatures of 0.7 to 31.3%r and 12.7° to 31.1°C. 

 Dr. C. L. Hubbs identified this species in two 

 collections from Sapelo Beach and Riceboro 

 Creek, and I believe that neither of the closely 

 related species, E. gula or E. jonesii, occurred 

 in my collections. 



Pomadasyidae - grunts 



The primarily tropical grunts are represented 

 by the pigfish (Orthopristis chrysoptera) in 

 Georgia estuaries. The pigfish was trawled in 

 the lower and middle reaches from June to De- 

 cember and was also collected at the beach. A 

 minimum salinity of 15.4%^ was recorded. 



Sparidae - porgies 



The sheepshead {Archosargus probatoceph- 

 alus) provides an important sport fishery around 

 docks in the lower reaches and also occurred in 

 the high marsh and beach habitats. The small 

 pinfin (Lagodon rhomboides) was rare but wide- 

 spread (six habitats). Small pinfish (20-87 mm) 

 were present from May to September, and most 

 were collected in the intertidal pools. 



Sciaenidae - drums 



This is the most important family of fishes 

 in Georgia estuaries to sport fishermen. Sciae- 

 nids are the most numerous fishes in terms of 

 numbers available to trawls (Anderson, 1968), 

 and probably most abundant in terms of biomass 

 in trawl collections. 



Silver perch (Bairdiella chrysura) occupied 

 a variety (8) of habitats. Adults were common 

 only in trawl collections in the lower and middle 

 reaches. The silver perch spawned primarily 

 in April and May (Table 4) . The smallest spec- 

 imens were collected in the lower reach and 

 high-salinity pools in May and June. Two age 

 groups (Table 4) were distinct from May to 

 July. Young grew rapidly from May to October 

 in a wide variety of habitats. They apparently 

 use the whole estuary and also the beach waters 

 as a "nursery ground." Salinity and tempera- 

 ture ranges for this species were 1.3 to 34. 1%^ 

 and 7.5° to 32°C. 



The spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) 

 are among the most important estuarine fishes 

 to Georgia anglers. They were occasionally 

 trawled in small numbers in the lower and middle 



Table 4. — Length-frequency distribution of the silver perch, Bairdiella chrysura, collected by trawling and seining, 



1967-68. 



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