CHAO and MUSICK: LIFE HISTORY OF JUVENILE SCIAENID FISHES 



TABLE 10. — Stomach contents of weakfish, Cynoscion regalis, from different estuarine areas along U.S. Atlantic coast. 



'All fishes combined 



same months (Colvocoresses 1975; Markle 1976). 

 Fishes and planktonic crustaceans were the major 

 food items of C. regalis (Table 10). A shift of food 

 habits with growth was noted by Thomas (1971), 

 Merriner (1975), and Stickney et al. (1975). The 

 smaller weakfish fed more on mysid shrimp and 

 the larger weakfish fed more on fishes. 



and fishes (Table 11). Smaller specimens ( <40 mm 

 SL) fed mostly on copepods but as they grew they 

 fed more onN. americanus, amphipods, and other 

 larger crustaceans. Fishes became more impor- 

 tant food items for specimens over 70 mm SL 

 (Thomas 1971; Carr and Adams 1973; Stickney et 

 al. 1975). 



Bci irdiella chrysou ra 



Stomachs of 68 B. chrysoura (57-190 mm TL) 

 were examined (Table 11). They fed mainly onN. 

 americanus and A. mitchilli. In other areas, 

 juvenile B. chrysoura fed mainly on crustaceans 



Micropogonias undulatus 



Stomachs of 69 M. undulatus (65-199 mm TL) 

 were examined (Table 12). They showed as wide a 

 variety of prey items as have previous studies from 

 other geographic areas (Table 12). Polychaetes 



691 



