As on the inside grounds, the size of brown 

 shrinnps taken on the outside grounds (fig. 8) 

 increased steadily from June (modes at 

 108 mm. for males and 123 mm. for females) 

 to September (modes at 133 to 138 mm. for 

 males and 158 mm. for females). Again it is 

 difficult to link these size increases with 

 growth rates as the shrimp were evidently 

 rapidly leaving the Georgia fishery by Sep- 

 tember (many probably left in August). The 

 few brown shrimp caught in October were of 

 similar size to those taken in September. 



68 78 88 98 108 118 128 138 148 158 168 178 

 63 , 73 I 83 , 93 I 103 , 113 , 123 . 133 . 143.153 , 163 , 173 , 183 



10 - 

 9 

 8 



7 - 



6 - 



5 



4 - 

 3 



2 - 



14 

 13 

 12 



11 

 10 

 9 

 8 



7 

 6 



5 



4 



S^ 

 lu ^ 



«-> 1 



tt 

 ui 



Q. 9 



I r I ■ I 



/~ 



/ 





JUNE 



— 181 MALES =52.6% _ 



- - 163 FEMALES' 47.4 % 



Ni- 



I I I I I ' I 1 I 1 ,^l I I I 1 I ' I I I 1 I I 



JULY 



1,050 MALES =55.0%. 



863 FEMALES' 45.1 % 



V \-. 



I I TT'T^r' i I I I I I I I ri 1 I i I I I I I 



AUGUST 

 - 801 MALES =46.4% 

 -934 FEMALES = 53.8% 



1 I I 1 r' I I I 1 I 



SEPTEMBER 



117 MALES =48.1% 



_ 126 FEMALES- 51.7% 



/ 



I I I 



. — I — I — I — I — I — I — ""l — ' — I — ' — I — ■"! — ' — I — ' — I — ' — I — ' — I — "" 



63 ' 73 ' 83 ' 93 ' 103 ' H3 ' 123 ' 133 ' 143 ' 153 ' 163 ' 173 ' 183 

 68 78 88 98 108 118 128 138 148 158 168 178 

 TOTAL LENGTH (MM.) 



Ovary development .-- All female shrimp 

 taken on the inside grounds in June and July 

 were undeveloped; in August 93.7 percent 

 were undeveloped, 5.4 percent were develop- 

 ing, and 0.9 percent were yellow; and in 

 September 71.9 percent were undeveloped, 

 26.9 percent developing, and 1 .2 percent yellow 

 (table 2). The smallest shrimp with developing 

 ovaries was 133 mm. long, and the smallest 

 with yellow stage ovaries was 148 mm. No 

 ripe females were taken on the inside grounds. 



On the outside grounds all females captured 

 during June and July were undeveloped except 

 for one developing stage shrimp in July; in 

 August 90.5 percent were undeveloped, 9.3 

 percent developing, and 0.3 percent yellow; 

 and in September 30.1 percent were unde- 

 veloped, 34.1 percent developing, 32.6 percent 

 yellow, and 3.2 percent ripe without attached 

 spermatophor es (table 3). Of 38 females re- 

 corded for October (not shown in table 3), 26, 

 or 68.4 percent, were undeveloped; 2, or 5.2 

 percent, developing; 1, or 2.6 percent, yellow; 

 and 9, or 23.7 percent, were ripe without at- 

 tached spermatophores; lengths ranged from 

 153 to 178 mm. On the outside grounds the 

 smallest shrimp in different stages of develop- 

 ment were: developing ovaries, 138 mm.; 

 yellow, 148 mna.; and ripe, 153 mm. (collected 

 in October). 



Frisbie (1967), in discussing brown shrimp 

 in Georgia, said, "Evidence of possible spawn- 

 ing of brown shrimp 1 mile offshore of Sapelo 

 Sound (area B) was indicated by a catch of 

 maturing shrimp on October 11, 1966. Two 

 ripe females, 143 and 145 mnn. long contained 

 male spermatophores. Three other ripe but 

 unfertilized females, four yellow, three de- 

 veloping, one spent, and six undeveloped speci- 

 mens were included in the sample." 



These records indicate that spawning pos- 

 sibly occurs off the Georgia coast during the 

 fall but is probably very liinited within the 

 range of the shallow coastal fishery. Certainly 

 the few ripe females taken during September 

 and October are not commensurate with the 

 abundance of the species during July and 

 August. 



South Carolina 



Brown shrimp appear on the South Carolina 

 outside fishing grounds in June, reach peak 

 abundance in July and August, decline rapidly 

 in abundance during September, and have 

 nearly disappeared from the fishery by Octo- 

 ber (fig. 4). This situation is parallel to that 

 in Georgia. I have records from June to 

 September. 



Figure 8.— Size distribution and sex ratios of brown 

 shrimp on Georgia outside fishing grounds by month, 

 June to September, 1931-35. 



Size distribution . --Modes of length distri- 

 bution of brown shrimp from the outside 

 grounds increased steadily from 103 mm. for 



