198 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



^ 



Figure 11. — T.falcatus. Upper, 23.6 mm. (Capers Inlet, 

 S.C, ChM 31.207.12). Lower, 26.2 mm. (Fort Pierce, 

 Fla., Phillips collection). 



Figure 12. — T.falcatus. Upper, 35.3 mm. (Capers Inlet, 

 S.C, ChM 31.207.12). Lower, 35.5 mm. (Fort Pierce, 

 Fla., Phillips collection). 



Figure 13. — T. falcatus. 59.5 mm. (Little River, 1 mile 

 northeast of Calabash, N.C.). 



small, 12- to 40-mm. fish appears on the beaches, 

 supplementing the scattered population of larger 

 fish. One to three size modes may be present at 

 this time. Its stay is very short, for by latter 

 October only a few individuals remain, these in 

 the 14- to 65-mm. size range, and none is found 

 after the middle of November. 



Examination of material from southern Florida 

 reveals a much different recruitment pattern than 

 that foimd on the Georgia coast (See Phillips 

 Collection, appendix table 1). In the Miami-Vero 

 Beach area, specimens were taken tliroughout the 

 year and generally at much smaller sizes than in 

 Georgia. Specimens less than 12 mm. long were 

 taken from ttanuary into September. The near- 

 ness of the Gulf Stream to the southern Florida 

 coast no doubt influences the long period of beach 

 recruitment and the small size of the inshore 

 specimens. This pattern indicates a prolonged 

 spawning season, much of which is restricted to 

 subtropical waters. 



Based on water temperature and salinity data 

 for the years 1956-59 (see under T. carolinus, 

 p. 194), T. falcatus &rst appears on Georgia beaches 

 when the water is warmed to about 27° C, and 

 remains on the beaches until the water cools to 

 about 19.5°, and has been taken in a salinity 

 range of 17.07-35.34 parts per thousand. 



Size 



Beebe and Tee-Van (1928: p. 116) stated that 

 T. falcatus "Grows to 12 inches and a weight 

 of 3 pounds." Breder (1948: p. 139) said that it 

 reaches a length of about 18 inches. Ginsbiu-g 

 (1952) examined a specunen 790 mm. (about 31 



