Rountree and Able: Abundance, growth, and foraging habits of Mustelus canis 



533 



Conclusions 



Young-of-the-year smooth dogfish use New Jersey 

 estuaries as nurseries during late spring through fall, 

 when pups grow rapidly to a size of 55-70 cm TL, 

 prior to migration from the estuaries by the end of 

 October. Smooth dogfish make tidal migrations into 

 shallow bay shoal and tidal marsh creek habitats 

 primarily at night, possibly to take advantage of high 

 concentrations of small crustacean prey. As a result, 

 shallow bay shoal and tidal marsh creek habitats 

 appear to be critical nursery areas for smooth dog- 

 fish in New Jersey estuaries. 



Acknowledgments 



Although numerous individuals provided field and 

 laboratory assistance for this project, we would es- 

 pecially like to thank S. Weiss, T. Auletta, M. Pearson, 

 S. Hagan, and R. Hagan. This study was supported 

 by grants from the following organizations: Leathern 

 Fund (Rutgers University), Manasquan Marlin and 

 Tuna Club, New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium, 

 Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research (American 

 Museum of Natural History), Sport Fishing Institute 

 Fund, Andrew J. Boehm Fellowship (American Fish- 

 ing Tackle Manufacturers Association), National 

 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Sea 

 Grant), and the Institute for Marine and Coastal 

 Sciences (IMCS), Rutgers University. 



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