NATURAL HISTORY OF REDFISH, ETC., OF TEXAS 203 



FOOD HABITS 



Of 60 Texas croakers 21 to 35 centimeters (8.2 to 13.7 inches) long, 55 per cent had 

 eaten shrimp; 13 per cent, anneUds; 12 per cent, fish; 5 per cent, crabs; 5 per cent, 

 mollusks; and 10 per cent had a mixed diet. Of 19 fish 14 to 20 centimeters (5.5 to 7.8 

 inches) long, 21 per cent had eaten shrimp; 63 per cent, annelids; 5 per cent, fish; 

 and 11 per cent had a mixed diet. The smaller fish had eaten mainly annelids, 

 particularly polychaet worms, but no crabs or mollusks. Small bottom-dwelling 

 fish, such as gobies and even small croakers, also were found to be the food of some of 

 the fish. Hildebrand and Schroeder (1928, p. 284) stated that the food of croakers in 

 Chesapeake Bay, as shown by 39^ stomachs, consists of crustaceans, annelids, 

 mollusks, ascidians, and fish. 



COMMERCIAL CONSIDERATIONS 



While the croaker is one of the most abundant and valued food fishes of the Middle 

 and South Atlantic States (the average annual catch is about 25,000,000 pounds), 

 the species is hardly represented in the commercial catch in Texas waters. Along 

 the more northern part of the coast a few thousand pounds of small fish are marketed 

 annually, but they are very inferior in size, usually averaging about 22 centimeters 

 in length (8.6 inches) and 3.7 ounces in weight. The lack of any considerable number 

 of croakers above 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) in Texas waters would seem to indicate 

 that the species can never become a leading source of fish supply, in spite of intensive 

 fishing effort. However, the smaller fish, which are marketed to some extent at present, 

 provide a cheap grade of food for those who can not afford the higher prices demanded 

 for the more popular redfish, spotted trout, and Spanish mackerel, and should be 

 utihzed whenever possible. 



SUMMARY 



1. The croaker spawns along the Texas coast from October to February; the 

 height of the season is in November. 



2. Spawning takes place in the Gulf of Mexico, and the young fish enter the inter- 

 coastal waters or remain along the Gulf beaches in the vicinity of the passes. 



3. A total length of about 15 centimeters (6 inches) is reached by the end of the 

 first year, while about 22 centimeters (8.6 inches) is attained by the end of the second 

 year. 



4. Maturity is attained at the end of the second year, and few fish appear to live 

 after the first spawning. 



5. The croaker is marketed only in small quantities, owing to its inferior size 

 and lack of popularity. 



