NATURAL HISTORY OF REDFISH, ETC., OF TEXAS 197 



Table 27. — Collections of larral and young croakem {Micropogon undulaliis) in Texas 1.926 and 1927 



During September and October a noticeable migration of ripe adult croakers 

 from the bays to the Gulf was indicated by the frequent collections around the 

 passes and the lessening numbers of fish in the more remote lagoons and bays. It was 

 not expected, however, that a profusion of young would result from this spawning, 

 since the size of the adult Texas croaker rarely runs over 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) — 

 much smaller than the Atlantic coast fish. 



Both Aransas and Corpus Christi Passes were fished in order to find young 

 croakers and young redfish, and the confusion that resulted from the mixture of 

 these two species (which resemble each other closely in larval form) was disconcerting 

 to the investigator, who for a time did not know which fish was being taken in such 

 great numbers. Thousands of larval and post larval croakers were obtained, how- 

 ever, compared with the tens of redfish, as comparison of Tables 4 and 27 shows 

 clearly, although much more time was spent trying to find the young redfish. 



The young croakers came into the bays from the Gulf on the incoming tidal 

 currents, to be distributed over the many miles of intercoastal waters. A deter- 

 mined attempt on the part of the post larval and young fish to gain the shelter of 

 the bays was observed on many occasions. Few fish could breast the strong current 

 of the ebb tide, but the young croakers, massed in schools, were seen attempting to 

 enter the passes by hugging the sides of the channels and to take advantage of the 

 slower current in the shallower water as well as the counter wash from the Gulf surf, 

 which tended to offset the outgoing current from the bays and lagoons. Careful 

 fishing around Corpus Christi and Aransas Passes showed beyond any doubt that 

 the young were striving to get through the passes into the quiet bay and lagoon 

 waters. This important fact in the life of the fish was observed in the case of the 

 spot, also, and there is no reason to doubt that the other Gulf-spawned Sciaenidae, 

 particularity the redfish and drum, also make a deliberate attempt to reach the bays 

 from the spawning grounds outside of the passes. That such an attempt was not 

 noticed in the case of the redfish and drum probably was due to the fact that these 

 fish occurred in less abundance. 



A marked and interesting concentration of post larval croakers was found to 

 take place during the height of the spawning season in November, 1926, in 

 the angle of the rock jetty at Aransas Pass lying on the north side of the pass. 

 Thousands of young congregated along the Gulf beach in the immediate corner of 

 the jetty, while in the opposite angle, formed by the south jetty, few, if any, young 



