410 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



sharply inward (having a resemblance to a leaf 

 rake). The simple-tipped teeth in the single row 

 of the lower lip are close set, number about 50 in 

 each half of the lip, but still barely protrude from 

 the thin-edged lip. 



At about 100 mm. length there are two rows of 

 teeth in the upper lip. The larger teeth in the 

 outer row number about 50 to 55 on each side and 

 have simple tips which are somewhat flattened and 

 incurved. The teeth of the inner row are much 

 smaller than those of the outer row, have simple 

 tips, and number about 30 in each half of the lip. 

 The simple-tipped teeth in the single row in the 

 lower lip are very close set, number about 75 to 80 

 in each half of the lip, point forward from the 

 thin-edged lip, but do not protrude much beyond 

 the margin of the lip. 



GROWTH 



SPAWNING 



their first year reach a length around 200 mm., 

 and may be maturing at that age. 



The second growth line on figure 22 relates to a 

 group of young from later spawning which is 

 present in the beach and marsh areas in August 

 (this represents the last major recruitment). 

 Starting at 20-mm. length and applying the 17 

 mm. per month growth rate, this group could be 

 expected to reach a size of about 105 mm. in 

 December. 



The third growth line relates to the latest 

 spawned stragglers which are about 20 to 30 mm. 

 long in October and reach a size of about 70 mm. 

 by December (fig. 22). 



The effects of winter water temperatures on 



growth of silver mullet in Georgia cannot be 



followed since the young appear in April when the 



water temperatures have warmed and apparently 



leave this coast when waters cool in late fall and 



.,^, , ,, ,. .. 1 J earlv winter (table 5) . 



Although the samphng program was not planned 



specifically for this study, growth of mullet may 



be estimated for Georgia from material from the 



seine collections. Three growth lines are indicated Little has been published on the spawning habits 



in figure 22. The first is in reference to the earliest of the silver mullet. Based on presence of the 



spawned group which appears first on Georgia young (20 mm. and up) in estuarine waters of 



beaches late in April (earliest record is April 22). North Carolina, Jacot (1920, p. 226) suggested a 



Assuming that from 3 to 4 weeks were required for rather protracted spawning period of mid-April to 



larvae to reach a standard length of 17 to 24 mm., mid-August with a peak about May. 



I relate the April recruits to spawning in late March 



or early April. From April to October the growth ''^:,i^^Z&::T;^rll::^'i^^^ 



can be followed from the upper limits of the size s, and 6 



ranges (after October larger juveniles appear to 



move out of the area). This growth, computed 



from time of hatching, apparently progresses at a 



rate of about 17 mm. per month, so that juvenile 



fish about 120 mm. long late in October would have 



been spawned about April 1 and are about 7 



months old. 



Hildebrand and Schroeder (1928, p. 197) state 



that M. curema in southern waters has an average 



length of about 10 inches (250 mm.) and a maxi- 

 mum length of about 14 inches (350 mm.). As 

 the mature individuals taken from the spawning 

 school off the Florida coast averaged 189 mm. for 

 the males, 209 mm. for the females, and about 

 198 mm. for males and females combined, they 

 apparently were relatively young fish. If we 



extend the growth line of about 17 mm. per month At GUI regular station 4 off the southern Florida 



beyond October and to a size of 200 mm., it seems coast near the 20-fathom line (fig. 1), between the 

 quite reasonable that silver mullet at the end of hours of 2200 and 2315 on April 25, 1954, thou- 



