FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 70, NO. 2 



lower diversity is partially the result of less sam- 

 pling effort. 



Dahlberg and Odum (1970) noted the abun- 

 dance of species at the 14 trawl stations over the 

 first 14 months of this study. We found that the 

 most numerous species for the first 12 months 

 of the study were star drum (15,209 individu- 

 als), weakfish (2,454), blackcheek tonguefish 

 (2,193), sea catfish (1,681), southern kingfish 

 (1,345), silver perch (1,133), bay anchovy 

 (1,090), spot (1,004), Atlantic croaker (896), 

 and spotted hake (467) . In shrimp trawl catch- 

 es in an estuary near Brunswick, 1931-35, An- 

 derson (1968) found the following order of 

 decreasing abundance: star drum, Atlantic 

 croaker, spot, fringed flounder, weakfish, sea 

 catfish, anchovy species, gaflftopsail catfish, and 

 kingfish species. In both studies the star drum 

 was the most abundant species. Certain differ- 

 ences (e.g., tonguefish, silver perch, fringed 

 flounder, gaflFtopsail catfish) may be related to 

 spatial or temporal changes in populations, size 

 of trawl, and mesh size. 



Miller and Jorgenson (1969) recorded 56 spe- 

 cies, including 39 collected more than once, for 

 the high marsh habitat. Species that were eury- 

 thermal in the high marsh also were character- 

 istic of the beach habitat. However, they found 

 the mummichog to be more abundant than the 

 striped killifish in the marsh. 



Collections with trawls and seines both con- 

 tributed heavily to the high diversity (61) of 

 the upper and middle reaches. Some of the spe- 

 cies trawled in the middle reach may not occur 

 in the lower salinity upper reach. Species that 

 were eurythermal in the middle reach and com- 

 mon in trawl catches in the middle reach include 

 the Atlantic stingray, bay anchovy, silver perch, 

 spot, southern kingfish, Atlantic croaker, hog- 

 choker, blackcheek tonguefish, and oyster toad- 

 fish. Species that were common in trawl catch- 

 es only during the warm months include the sea 

 catfish, weakfish, star drum, and Atlantic spade- 

 fish. Species that were common in trawl catches 

 only during the cold months include the two hake 

 species, spotted seatrout, ocellated flounder, and 

 southern flounder. 



Gunter (1967) and others have pointed out 

 that young of marine species are predominant 



in brackish water. Young fishes that I consider 

 to be eurythermal in the shallow waters (col- 

 lected by seine, 10-ft trawl, and cast net) of the 

 upper and middle reaches include the Atlantic 

 menhaden, silver perch, spot, southern kingfish, 

 croaker, striped mullet, white mullet, southern 

 flounder, hogchoker, and blackcheek tonguefish. 

 The longnose gar, striped anchovy, bay anchovy, 

 mummichog, tidewater silverside, Atlantic sil- 

 verside, northern pipefish, and chain pipefish 

 were also characteristic of this region. 



The oligohaline section of Riceboro Creek has 

 a low diversity (40 species) especially when the 

 stragglers (21 species) are considered. Tagatz 

 and Dudley (1961) recorded 38 species including 

 12 freshwater species at an oligohaline station 

 in the Neuse River, N.C. Fishes of the oligo- 

 haline creek include 15 freshwater species, 20 

 euryhaline marine species, 4 anadromous species 

 (Alosa and Dorosoma) , and 1 catadromous spe- 

 cies (Anguilla) . Populations of Dorosoma spe- 

 cies that occur in saline waters can be considered 

 anadromous as Bailey et al. (1954) have done, 

 but these are primarily freshwater species, at 

 least in Georgia. Characteristic species of the 

 oligohaline creek include the longnose gar^ bay 

 anchovy, white catfish, mummichog, mosquito- 

 fish, tidewater silverside, bluegill, striped mullet, 

 hogchoker, southern flounder, and spot. 



Numbers of fish species decrease up the estu- 

 ary until the stable freshwater habitat is 

 reached. Most of the 39 species recorded for the 

 freshwater habitat are freshwater species that 

 are characteristic of Coastal Plain waters. 

 Others are migratory or euryhaline marine spe- 

 cies, including the anadromous shads (Alosa), 

 catadromous American eel, tidewater silverside, 

 northern pipefish, and hogchoker. Fishermen 

 report catching the anadromous striped bass 

 (Morone saxatiUs) in Riceboro Creek but we 

 have no records. 



Miller and Jorgenson (1969) reported 48 spe- 

 cies from a freshwater station in the lower 

 Altamaha River. In addition to species that I re- 

 port, they recorded some marine species, fresh- 

 water fishes that usually occur in large rivers 

 and reservoirs, and others that are probably 

 absent from the North Newport River drainage. 



The tidal canal and low-salinity tidal pools are 



350 



