394 



Fishery Bulletin 101(2) 



system, upper area spot displayed significantly (P<0.05) 

 lower instantaneous mortality rates than did fish from 

 the lower estuaries, especially in Cape Fear Lower Cape 

 Fear spot exhibited a statistically similar (P>0.05) instan- 

 taneous mortality rate to those in the lower and upper 

 Pamlico creeks. Daily mortality rates during the present 

 study were 4.97 %/d in the upper Pamlico, 6.39 %/d in the 

 lower Pamlico, 3.63 %IA in the upper Cape Fear, and 6.01 

 '7r/d in the lower Cape Fear 



Micropogonias undulatus 



Distribution Atlantic croaker distributions in both sys- 

 tems were skewed toward upstream, oligohaline creeks 

 (Fig. 9-11). In the Pamlico system almost no Atlantic 

 croaker were collected in the lower or middle areas (Fig. 9). 

 Atlantic croaker recruitment in the Pamlico lagged behind 

 the ("ape Fear in abundance and timing (Fig. 9), and peak 

 densities occurred throughout the Pamlico near the end of 

 the sampling. 



Patterns of Atlantic croaker recruitment were like those 

 of spot in the upper and middle Cape Fear. Like spot, most 



of the Atlantic croaker year class had recruited to these ar- 

 eas by mid-April, although small Atlantic croaker (<20 mm) 

 continued to colonize these creeks through mid-late May 

 (Fig. 10). Also, peak abundance was reached in the middle 

 and upper Cape Fear during the same weeks as those for 

 spot (2nd and 3rd, respectively) (Fig. 9). Except for the 

 larger CPUE in mid-March, Atlantic croaker recruitment 

 in the lower Cape Fear was similar to that of most Pamlico 

 system creeks (Fig. 9). 



Atlantic croaker entering PNAs from mid-March through 

 late April in both systems appeared to bypass lower and 

 middle area nursery creeks (unlike spot) to a greater extent 

 than fish recruiting after April (Fig. 9). Late recruitment 

 of small Atlantic croaker was especially apparent in the 

 mid-lower Pamlico (Fig. 11). 



Size distribution Atlantic croaker initially collected in the 

 Cape Fear creeks through the first week of April spanned 

 a size range of 11-23 mm (Fig. 10, 15.4 mm SL mean), and 

 mean sizes were not significantly different (paired /-test, 

 P>0.05) between areas in the first or second sampling 

 week. After this time, Atlantic croaker from the middle 



