ATLANTIC SAILFISH 



167 



.6 I ' 2 



EYE DIAMETER IN MM. 



Figure 39. 



-Relation of eye diameter to snout length. Large black dots 

 represent the unidentified species. 



the larger specimens taken off the Mississippi 

 Delta seem to be associated with spawning in the 

 southeastern Gulf, these specimens having been 

 carried northward by the prevailing currents. 

 The 64.1-mm. larva taken in the east central 

 Gulf during May could have been spawned in the 

 Gulf, or farther south, late in the previous spawn- 

 ing season. It would appear that spawning in 

 the southeastern Gulf extends from April through 

 August. The spawning period in the western 

 Gulf is less clearly defined since small specimens 

 were taken only during June. However, Baugh- 

 man (1941) reports that females with roe in all 

 stages of development were taken during early 

 August off the Texas coast. 



ECOLOGICAL NOTES 



In table 10 are presented available surface 

 salinity, oxygen, and temperature values for the 

 locations at which some larvae were taken. Too 

 little data are available for correlation of specimen 

 occurrence with these factors. 



Of interest concerning the capture of specimens 

 in the Theodore N. GUI collections are the follow- 

 ing points: All were taken at the surface from 

 deep, open-water areas; none were associated with 

 seaweed; most were taken during daylight hours; 

 and those few taken at night did not appear to be 

 especially attracted to light (although several of 

 the larger specimens from the Gulf of Mexico were 

 reported as having been attracted to lights). 



