I 



DAHLBERG: ECOLOGICAL STUDY OF GEORGIA COASTAL FISHES 



Table 8. — Length-frequency distribution of the Atlantic croaker, Micropogon undulatus, 1967 and January and Feb- 

 ruary 1968. Most were collected with a trawl. Seine and cast net collections are indicated by parentheses. 



Most star drum left the estuary during the cold 

 months. 



Kyphosidae and Pomacentridae 



These two families were represented only by 

 stragglers from offshore (Table 2). They were 

 collected at St. Simons Beach (Miller and Jor- 

 genson, 1969). 



Ephippidae - spadefishes 



Small Atlantic spadefishes (Chaetodipterus 

 faher) were common in trawls in the lower and 

 middle reaches from June to October at a tem- 

 perature range of 20.1° to 32.0°C. They were 

 uncommon in shallowwater habitats and were 

 not collected at salinities below 9.9%o. 



Mugilidae - mullets 



Striped mullet (Mugil cephaliis) and white 

 mullet (M. curema) were widespread and abun- 

 dant in the estuary. Both species generally oc- 

 cupied shallow water near the surface. The 



striped mullet was collected in eight shallow- 

 water habitats, and it often enters inland rivers. 

 The white mullet occupied the same estuarine 

 habitats with the exception of the oligohaline 

 creek. This difference may be attributed to sa- 

 linity preferences since the white mullet was 

 taken at salinities down to 5.0%o and the striped 

 mullet was often collected at salinities below 

 0.5%c. 



The striped mullet was common or abundant 

 in all the habitats in which it occupied. The 

 white mullet was common in the beach and high- 

 salinity pool habitats. The striped mullet ap- 

 parently has a greater temperature tolerance 

 since it was collected throughout the year at a 

 temperature range of 7.0° to 31.7°C. The white 

 mullet was absent from collections from Jan- 

 uary through March and occurred at a temper- 

 ature range of 15.0° to 32.2°C. 



Length frequencies indicated that the striped 

 mullet spawned from September through April 

 and the white mullet from March through Sep- 

 tember, with some overlap in March, April, and 

 September. 



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