<20 cm were caught only occasionally in either inshore or offshore southern 

 strata sets (North Carolina) (Figures 15.13 and 15.16). 



Figures lb. 21) and 15.21 show the percentage occurrence by stratum of 

 young-of-the-year (YOY); cutoff sizes were 12 and 8 cm for spring and fall 

 series, respectively. Although the inshore frequency of occurrence was low in 

 spring, the YOY dominate the catches (Figures 15.20). In the autumn, YOY 

 catches were restricted to northern inshore areas where the fish were spawned 

 during the past spring and were moving out of the bays and estuaries (Figure 

 15.21). 



Scup is one of the few species endemic to the Mid-Atlantic, and its high 

 number and availability to both commercial and recreational gear make it one 

 of the more important species in the region from both an ecological and 

 fisheries point of view. 



34: 



