NATURAL HISTORY OF REDFISH, ETC., OF TEXAS 209 



meters (5.1 to 5.5 iuches) when the true modes for the two classes would appear, from 

 other collections, to be at 8 and 19 centimeters (3.1 and 7.4 inches). It is assumed 

 that the fish making up this 13 to 14 centimeter mode were composed of rapidly grow- 

 ing fish of the O class or unusually small tish of the I class, or both. 



HUdebrand and Schroeder (1928, p. 274) estimated that the spot in Chesapeake 

 Bay attained a length of about 13 centimeters (5.1 inches) at 1 year of age. This 

 is but slightly less than the size reached by the Texas spots, which is about 13 to 14 

 centimeters (5.1 to 5.5 inches) by the end of the first year and 19 to 21 centimeters 

 (7.4 to 8.2 inches) by the end of the second year. The ma.xiraum length attained by 

 the spot is recorded for Chesapeake Bay fish by Hildebrand and Schroeder (1928, 

 p. 276) at about 34 centimeters (13.4 inches). Welsh and Breder (1923, p. 179) 

 stated that fish from 26 to 28 centimeters long, and probably in their third year, 

 were taken abundantly at Atlantic City, N. J., in the summer of 1920. Collections 

 of Texas spots revealed but 3 fish out of 3,471 that were over 25 centimeters (9.8 

 inches) in length. It must be concluded, therefore, that few fish reach an age of 

 over 2 years in Texas coastal waters. 



SIZE AND AGE AT MATURITY 



With few Texas spots reaching an age of over 2 years, it seems probable that most 

 of the annual spawning must be done at the end of the second year. Small numbers 

 of ripening adult spots were taken in early December, 1926, near the Passes, and the 

 length distributions of these fish indicated that they belonged to the I class at the 

 approach of the end of the second year. The lengths of the fish ranged from 17 

 to 21 centimeters (6.7 to 8.2 inches). The migration of the spawning fish out of the 

 bays prevented the taking of large collections of adults. 



SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION AND MOVEMENTS 



During its first year the spot is extremely abundant in all of the intercoastal 

 waters, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of the Passes. After entering 

 the bays the larval and young fish tend to remain in the shallower lagoons and coves 

 until the coming of cold weather (the winter following hatching), when many fish move 

 into the deeper waters of the bays and Gulf. Trawls operated in the deeper waters 

 of the bays secure many spots in winter and spring. The young spots, Uke the young 

 croakers, do not all come into the bays, for many are secured around the Passes 

 throughout most of the year. 



A great decrease in natural abundance occurs between the first and second years 

 and particularly at the end of the second year. Along the Atlantic coast the spot 

 has long been known to make a spawning migration in the fall of the year, evidently 

 going out into the deeper waters of the ocean to spawn and for winter protection. 

 This spawning migration takes place along the Texas coast, likewise, and with the 

 general exodus of the 2-year-olds from the bays they disappear forever, for the most 

 part into the Gulf of Mexico. 



Hildebrand and Schroeder (1928, p. 274) noticed that spots are very thin and poor 

 in Chesapeake Bay in the spring of the year, indicating that much energy has been 

 spent in the process of reproduction. It may be safe to state that the majority of 

 the spawning 2-year-old Texas spots fail to survive after the first spawning. 



