DAHLBERG: ECOLOGICAL STUDY OF GEORGIA COASTAL FISHES 



Table 6. — Length-frequency distribution of the spot, Leiostomus xanthurus, collected by seine, 1967-69 (in paren- 

 theses) and by trawl in 1967. None were collected in September. 



adults also occupied the lower and middle reach- 

 es. Although generally common, adults were 

 rare in March and April apparently because they 

 migrate to the ocean where they spawn in off- 

 shore waters (Bearden, 1963). 



Gulf kingfish (M. littoralis) spawned primar- 

 ily from April to September, judging from 18- 

 to 22-m specimens that were taken along the 

 beach from May to October. The Gulf kingfish 

 was common only along the beach from May to 

 November in my collections. 



The northern kingfish (M. saxatilis) was the 

 least common of the kingfishes. Young (17- 

 50 mm) occurred along the beach in April and 

 May, and five larger specimens (58-140 mm) 

 were trawled in the lower reach from May to 

 August. 



The Atlantic croaker (Micropogon undalatus) 

 somewhat resembles the spot (Leiostomus xan- 

 thurus) in population size and distribution in 

 the estuary. Table 8 indicates that croakers 

 spawned primarily from September to April. 

 Bearden (1964) found that in South Carolina 

 croakers spawned almost entirely in the ocean, 

 and larvae were found from October through 

 May. Young croakers (16-80 mm) were col- 

 lected in seven habitats, including six shallow- 

 water habitats, at salinities down to 2.7%c. Un- 

 like spots, young croakers were not abundant in 

 shallow water and they did not occur in fresh 

 water. Adult croakers were common in trawl 

 catches in the lower and middle reaches, espe- 

 cially May through August when they were not 

 spawning. The population decline in autumn 



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