EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEN-POUNDER 



645 



Table 14. — Seasonal occurrence of early metamorphic larvae, mid-metamorphic larvae, late metamorphic larvae, and 



juveniles in seine collections [specimens grouped by size.) 



i Taken on the beach. 



2 One specimen from marsh; others from the beach. 



' From tidal marsh, Brunswick, Oa. 



occurrence of early metamorphic larvae on the 

 Georgia beaches from late March into October in- 

 dicates a prolonged spawning season. 



The appearance in 1953 of late metamorphic 

 larvae (table 14) in the seine collections at Sapelo 

 Marsh coincided with the disappearance of early 

 metamorphic larvae, and suggests a single popula- 

 tion. 



Hildebrand (1943) reports ripe or nearly ripe 

 fish on October 23, and leptocephali in various 

 stages of development at Beaufort, N.C., during 

 most of the months of the year. Holbrook ( 1860, 

 p. 183) stated for South Carolina that "The Elops 

 saurus arrives on our coast about the first of June, 

 and remains with us until October, when it dis- 

 appears until another season." 



