NATURAL HISTORY OF REDFISH, ETC., OF TEXAS 



201 



SIZE AND AGE AT MATURITY 



The first collection of croakers with well developed roe and evidently preparing 

 to spawn was taken on September 28, 1926, in Laguna Madre near Corpus Christi 

 Pass, while the last sample of ripe or nearly ripe fish was secured about a month later 

 in the same general locality. 



Table 29, giving the length distribution of 230 matured croakers, shows a range 

 in length from 14 to 37 centimeters (5.5 to 14.5 inches) and a modal length for the 

 entire group of 22 centimeters (8.6 inches). This mode corresponds with the actual 

 length-frequency mode for fish caught in October, 1926, and judged to be at the end 



10 

 9 



8 

 7 

 6 



5 

 A 



2.0 J.9 



LENGTH- INCH £3 

 5.9 7.8 9.d II.Q 



13.7 15.7 



to 15 20 25 30 



LEN&TH -CENTIMETERS 



35 40 



Fig. 38.— Size at maturity of the croakrr. Males represented in percentage of total number 

 of fish, by solid line; females, by dotted line. Fish taken at Corpus Christi Pass, Tex., 

 October-November, 1920 



of their second year. It appears, therefore, that sexual maturity must be reached 

 and spawning takes place for the first time at the end of the second year of life. 



Table 29. — Size at maturily of the croaker {Micropogon undulatus) in Texas, September 2S to October 



29, 1926 



Length in centimeters 



Total. 



Males 



85 



Females 



Total 



2 

 230 



