98 FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Description. — The lengths of the larvae ranged from 2 to 3.5 mm. Various stages 

 of the young tautog have been described by Kuntz and Radcliffe (1918). Careful 

 examination of larval tautogs is essential in order not to confuse the species with the 

 young of the oysterfish, Gobiesox strumosus, which it strongly resembles. 



MICROGOBIUS THALASSINUS (Jordan and Gilbert). Scaled goby 



Distribution. — The young of this goby occurred in the plankton during July 

 and September 1929, and August and September, 1930. Postlarval and juvenile 

 fish from 9 to 36 mm. in length were taken by trawl in Little Creek during the summer. 

 All gobies were secured at stations well within the bay. 



Description. — The young ranged from 4.5 to 9 mm. in length. They can be 

 distinguished by a series of 14 to 16 solid black dots along the edge of the anal fin. 

 These dots are also evident along the ventral edge of the body prior to the formation 

 of the anal fin. The union of the ventral fins to form the ventral disk occurs at about 

 10 mm. 



The young have been described by Hildebrand and Cable (1938) under the name 



of Microgobius holmesi. 



GOBIOSOMA sp. Naked goby 



Distribution. — The young of this genus of gobies occurred abundantly in the 

 plankton from June 6 to Sept. 9, 1929, and from July 29 to Oct. 3, 1930, at all localities. 

 The period of maximum abundance was in July and August. Hildebrand and Schroe- 

 der (1927), on the basis of adult fish collections, observed that spawning of G. bosci 

 takes place from June to October, and that the height of the spawning period probably 

 occurred in July. 



Description. — The length-range of the young extended from 2 to 14 mm. Kuntz 

 (1916) and Hildebrand and Cable (1938) have described the young of the genus. The 

 transparency of young fish is quite characteristic. 



ASTROSCOPUS GVTTATUS (Abbott). Stargazer 



Distribution. — Several pelagic young of this fish were taken in July 1929 and 1930 

 at Station A. Larger young were taken by seine during summer along sandy beaches 

 within the lower bay. 



Description. — The fish ranged from 2.5 to 5 mm. in length. The young stargazer 

 at 4.9 mm. has the eyes laterally placed, as contrasted with the dorsally situated eyes 

 of the adult. A heavy pigmentation covers the body from the origin of the pectorals 

 to the vent. The soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins are slightly differentiated at this 

 size, although the larval fin fold remains entire (fig. 24). 



A marked change in the general shape and pigmentation of the body occurs at 

 a length of 23 mm. The eyes have slowly migrated dorsally; the mouth becomes more 

 vertical; the lips fringed; and the pigmentation more scattered. The fin rays become 

 fully differentiated and the pectorals much enlarged. Two bony processes, apparently 

 originating from the frontal bones of the skull, project from the surface of the skull 

 (fig. 25). The migration of the eyes to a dorsal position is completed soon after 

 25 millimeters is reached (fig. 26). 



