378 Memoir Sears Foundation for Marine Research 



tip of last dorsal ray, its base 4.45-5.25 in SL; a narrow sheath of scales at base. 

 Pelvic fin with a nearly straight oblique margin, its length 2.9—3.4 in head, its 

 outermost ray somewhat less than twice the length of the innermost ray (Fig. 84 c), the 

 fin inserted a little behind vertical from origin of dorsal. Pectoral fin long, slightly 

 falcate, its length 4.25—5.25 in SL, and 1.4— 1.9 in head, its longest ray fully four 

 times longer than the shortest one, the fin failing to reach the base of pelvic by a 

 distance usually a little less than diameter of pupil. Axillary appendage of pectoral 

 variable in length, apparently increasing in length with age, usually about half of 

 length of fin in large examples and only about a third in small ones, 2.5—4.6 in head. 



Color. Preserved specimens dark gray above a line extending through upper margin 

 of eye to slightly above middle of base of caudal, changing rather abruptly to the silvery 

 color of the side. A large black shoulder spot in adults, only faintly visible on those 

 no— 125 mm long, absent in smaller ones, this spot not followed by smaller dark 

 spots in any specimen at hand. Dorsal and caudal fins somewhat dusky, the margin 

 of the caudal pale; other fins plain translucent. Gunter, when comparing fresh examples 

 of this Menhaden with patronus, remarked: "The second species \_gunteri\ . . . was more 

 silvery and had less green color" (51: 27). Peritoneum black. 



Size. The specimens examined run larger in size than those of patronus; quite a 

 few exceed a length of 230 mm (9.2 in.), and the largest has a length of 310 mm (12.4 

 in.). An example 313 mm (12.5 in.) long has been reported (51). 



Development and Growth. The eggs of this species remain unknown, and very little 

 has been learned about the development, for no specimens less than 50 mm SL are 

 included in the collections examined. However, there is no reason to believe that 

 gunteri and patronus differ essentially in their development. Judging from the smaller 

 specimens at hand, the indications are that the young of this species, at an early age, 

 reach a depth of body that is equally as great as that in large adults, as in the case of 

 patronus. The increase in the number of gill rakers with age and growth is shown in 

 the Description. 



In somewhat more than four months, in 1942, from the time of their capture on 

 February 25 until July, o-class postlarvae 21— 30 mm long (identified by Gunter as 

 this species) grew to lengths of 25-45 mm (51). Gunter also spoke of a group 88-1 13 

 mm long that predominated in Aransas and Copano bays in November and Decem- 

 ber. Although he did not definitely assign these fish to the o-class, he did conclude 

 that "The curves indicate that this menhaden attained a length of 88 to 113 mm at 

 the age of one year." This is about the same size as that indicated for patronus at a 

 year of age. 



Spawning. Gunter has reported that a 12.5-mm male taken in Aransas Bay on 

 February 25, 1942, was exuding milt and that a ripe female 15.0 cm long was taken 

 in Copano Bay on March 29, 1942 {^l: 28). From Gunter's observations it appears 

 that this species, like patronus, spawns during the winter, and possibly into early spring. 



Migrations and Habitat. Nearly all that is known about the migrations and habitats 

 of B. gunteri has been given by Gunter (5x), the only student who seems to have recog- 



