THE YOUNG OF SOME MARINE FISHES TAKEN IN 

 LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY, VIRGINIA, WITH SPE- 

 CIAL REFERENCE TO THE GRAY SEA TROUT 

 Cynoscion regalis (BLOCH) 



J- 



By John C. Pearson, Aquatic Biologist, Fish and Wildlife Sendee 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 79 



Methods 80 



Planktonic fishes 80 



Brevoortia tyrannus (Latrobe). Men- 

 haden; Fatback 83 



Anchoviella milchilli (Cuvier and 



Valenciennes). Anchovy 83 



Conger conger (Linnaeus). Conger 

 eel 83 



Lophopsetla maculata (Mitchell). 



Windowpane 83 



Elropus sp. Etrope 83 



Paralichthy s sp. Flounder 84 



Ancylopsetta sp. Flounder 84 



Achirus fascialus Laeepede. Amer- 

 ican sole; Hogchoker 84 



Symphurus plagiusa (Linnaeus). 



Tonguefish 84 



Syngnathus jloridae (Jordan and Gil- 

 bert). Pipefish 84 



Syrictes fuscus (Storer). Common 



pipefish 85 



Hippocampus hudsonius DeKay. Sea- 

 horse 85 



Menidia menidia (Linnaeus). Silver- 

 side 85 



Peprilus alepidolus (Linnaeus). Har- 



vestfish . 85 



Poronolus triacanthus (Peck). Butter- 

 fish 87 



Pomatomus saltalrix (Linnaeus). Blue- 

 fish 89 



Page 



Planktonic fishes — Continued. 



Cenlropristes slriatus (Linnaeus). Sea 



bass; Blackfish 90 



Bairdiella chrysura (Laeepede). Sand 



perch 91 



Micropogon undulalus (Linnaeus). 



Croaker 91 



Menticirrhus americanus (Linnaeus). 



Kingfish; Whiting 92 



Cynoscion tegalis (Bloch and Schnei- 

 der). Gray sea trout; Weak- 

 fish; Squeteague 92 



Prionotus sp. Sea robin 97 



Tauloga onitis (Linnaeus). Tautog.. 97 



M irrogobius lhalassinus (Jordan and 



Gilbert). Scaled goby. 98 



Gobiosoma sp. Naked goby 98 



Aslroscopus guilatus Abbot. Star- 

 gazer 98 



Hypsoblennius hentz (Le Sueur). 



Blenny 99 



Rissola marginata (De Kay). Cusk 



eel 99 



Gobiesox strumosus Cope. Ovster- 



fish; Clingfish ..... 99 



Sphoeroides maculatus (Bloch and 



Schneider). Puffer 100 



Lophius piscatorius Linnaeus. Goose- 

 fish.. 100 



Summary 101 



Literature cited 101 



INTRODUCTION 



Our knowledge concerning seasonal and geographic distributions of the planktonic 

 young of most inshore marine fishes of the Atlantic coast is meager. This is especially 

 true of certain common food fishes such as the weakfish, or gray sea trout, Cynoscion 

 regalis, which provides the most valuable inshore fishery along the Middle Atlantic 



79 



