offshore waters from December through February. Larger gulf menhaden move 

 from offshore areas into the estuaries during spring and summer, with adults 

 migrating out of the estuary during September-November for the October-March 

 spawning period. Purse seining for gulf menhaden takes place primarily in 

 the Mississippi Sound, with some vessels venturing outside the barrier 

 islands (Benson 1982). 



Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) 



Loesch (1976c) found that southern flounder were widely distributed in 

 Alabama coastal waters though they were not particularly abundant. Juvenile 

 flounder were not abundant along the beaches, open bays, or marshes in 5 

 years of collecting (Loesch 1976c). Adults, however, are often taken by 

 commercial and sport fishermen in shallow coastal waters. The majority of 

 the flounder captured commercially are taken incidentally by shrimp trawls 

 (Swingle 1976). Sport fishermen take flounder both by hook and line, and 



gig- 



Croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) 



The croaker is the second most abundant species by weight (after 

 menhaden) taken commercially off Alabama (Wade 1977). The majority of the 

 croaker harvest is by shrimp trawl (Swingle 1977). Croaker are also popular 

 with sport fishermen. Sampling by Swingle and Bland (1974b) indicates that 

 spawning occurs from late September or early October to April, with peaks of 

 spawning activity varying with cl imatological changes. This species spawns 

 over a wide area, from the passes at the mouth of the bay to oceanic waters 

 many miles offshore; juveniles migrate to the Mississippi Sound in late 

 spring and early summer. In late summer and fall croakers migrate toward 

 Gulf waters. Few croakers remain in inside waters for more than 1 year. 

 Croakers have a high mortality rate and rarely live more than 4 or 5 years 

 (Benson 1982). 



Groupers (Epinephelus and Mycteroperca spp.) 



Groupers inhabit and spawn on offshore reefs. The abundance of this 

 species is dependent on the availability of habitat (Swingle 1977). 

 Commercially, the majority of groupers harvested by the Alabama fleet are 

 taken in the offshore waters of Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico (Swingle 1977). 

 The abundance of grouper near reefs makes charter and party boat fishing for 

 them popular. Many groupers are taken near the artificial reefs discussed in 

 the socioeconomic narrative. 



Snappers (Lutjanus spp.) 



In recent years there has been a decline in the Alabama snapper fishery 

 due to over-exploitation of the species and the reduction in size of the 

 Alabama snapper fleet (Swingle 1977). Most of the snapper harvest comes from 

 Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, and Central America (Swingle 1977). The red 

 snapper ( Lutjanus campechanus ) is the most common snapper in coastal Alabama 

 waters and is found in deep offshore waters around coral , natural or man-made 

 submerged objects, and hard sand bottoms (Benson 1982). 



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