YOUNG OF SOME MARINE FISHES IN LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY, VA. 85 



Description. — The young pipefish ranged in length from 14 to 48 mni. Identi- 

 fication was based on body and tail ring counts. 



SYRICTES FUSCUS (Storer). Common pipefish 



Distribution. — The young of this species were taken from May 11 to Sept. 16, 

 1929, and from May 6 to Nov. 22, 1930. 



Description. — The length of the young ranged from 9 to 50 mm. Identification 

 was based on body and tail ring counts. 



HIPPOCAMPUS HUDSONIUS De Kay. Seahorse 



Distribution.- — The young of the seahorse, Hippocampus hudsonius, were taken 

 in plankton from June 6 to Sept. 13, 1929, and from July 7 to Sept, 12, 1930. Al- 

 though spawning may occur within the bay, the young seahorses were generally taken 

 in masses of floating sea vegetation and probably had drifted in from open sea. 



Description. — The young fish ranged from 6 to 33 mm., which included the 

 distance from the tip of the snout (head flexed) to the end of the caudal fin. The 

 young of the species has been described by Ryder (1881). 



MENIDIA MENIDIA (Linnaeus). Silverside 



Distribution. — The young of the silverside were taken in plankton during May 

 1929-30. Most young were secured at stations well within the bay. Hildebrand 

 and Schroeder (1928) stated that the largest number of ripe adult M audio, occurred 

 in April and May. 



Description. — The length range of the young extended from 5 to 9 mm. The 

 various developmental stages have been described by Kuntz and Radclifl'e (1917) 

 for the northern form, M. menidia notata, and by Hildebrand (1922) for the southern, 

 or typical form, M. menidia. 



PEPRILUS ALEPIDOTUS (Linnaeus). Harvestfish 



Distribution. — The young of this important food fish were taken in the plankton 

 during July and August, 1929-30, at all stations. 



The appearance of the young fish accompanied the incursion of large numbers 

 of the coelenterates, Dactylometra and Cyanea. The long tentacles of these stinging 

 "jellyfish" appear to act as a shelter and possibly as a food provider for the young 

 harvestfish, for young fish were frequently observed hovering under the coelenterates. 



Description. — The lengths of the young fish ranged from 1.5 to 32 mm. The 

 young harvestfish at 1.8 mm. in length has the larval yolksac absent and the larval 

 fin fold entire. The larval gut is elongate, reaching about half the length of the. 

 body. A lateral pigmentation occurs as a scattering of black chromatophores on 

 the body (fig. 2). 



At 2.5 mm. the young fish possesses the lateral chromatophores in a more pro- 

 nounced and characteristic pattern. One series of pigment cells follows the median 

 line of the body from the pectoral fin to about half way the length of the body, while 

 another, more regular series, lies along the lower side of the body dorsal to the gut. 

 Scattering anastomosed chromatophores are found above the opercle and along the 



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