The June sample contained only snnall shrinnp 

 (fig. 15); 72.7 percent were undeveloped, 9.1 

 percent developing, and 18.2 percent were 

 yellow. 



The smallest female with ripe ovaries was 

 63 mm. long. The nnaturity data for Georgia 

 suggest that the species spawns in Georgia 

 waters from at least March to June. 



The May 1935 sample from the South Caro- 

 lina shrimping grounds had 31.2 percent with 

 undeveloped ovaries, 18.8 percent developing, 

 18.8 percent yellow, and 31.3 percent ripe 

 with attached spermatophores; the June 1935 

 sample had 61.3 percent with developing ova- 

 ries, 16.7 percent yellow, and 22.2 percent 

 ripe with attached spermatophores. These 

 data indicate that the species spawns in South 

 Carolina waters at least in May and June, and 

 that the spawning season is sinriilar to that in 

 Georgia. 



Joyce (1965) said for the northeast Florida 

 shrimping grounds, "The peak percentage of 

 impregnated females occurred in April and 

 May, and the appearance of the first recruits 

 in nnid June. Therefore, it appears that spawn- 

 ing may begin as early as April and probably 

 reaches a peak in May." 



From the available records for South Caro- 

 lina, Georgia, and northeast Florida, it is 

 evident that there is a similar spawning 

 period -- from spring to early summer -- on 

 the shallow coastal shrimping grounds along 

 the three States. 



The species occurs in waters offshore to 

 the coastal shrimping grounds but 1 have no 

 maturity data from that area and hence no 

 knowledge of offshore spawning. 



LITERATURE CITED 



ANDERSON, WILLIAM W. 



1968. Fishes taken during shrimp trawling 



along the south Atlantic coast of the 



United States, 1931-35. U.S. Fish Wildl. 



Serv., Spec. Sci. Rep. Fish. 570, 60 pp. 



ANDERSON, W. W., M. J. LINDNER, and J. E. 



KING. 



1949. The shrimp fishery of the southern 



United States. Fish Wildl. Serv., Com- 



mer. Fish. Rev. 11(2): 1-17. 



ANDERSON, WILLIAM W.. and G. ROBERT 

 LUNZ. 

 1965. Southern shrimp -- a valuable re- 

 gional resource. Atl. States Mar. Fish. 

 Connm. Leaflet 4, 6 pp. 

 BEARDEN, CHARLES M. 



1961. Notes on postlarvae of commercial 

 shrimp ( Penaeus ) in South Carolina. 

 Contrib. Bears Bluff Lab. 33, 8 pp. 

 BROAD, CARTER. 



1951. Results of shrimp research in 

 North Carolina. Proc. Gulf and Carib. 

 Fish. Inst., 3rd Annual Session, pp. 

 27-35. 

 FRISBIE, CHARLES M. 



1967. Preliminary studies of the seasonal 

 abundance and biological stability of the 

 comn-iercial shrimp of Georgia. Ga. 

 Game Fish Comm. Contrib. Ser. 4, 

 19 pp. 

 JOYCE, EDWIN A., JR. 



1965. The commercial shrimps of the 

 northeast coast of Florida. Fla. State 

 Bd. Conserv., Prof. Pap. Ser. 6, 

 224 pp. 

 KING, JOSEPH E. 



1948. A study of the reproductive organs 

 of the common marine shrimp, Penaeus 

 setiferus (Linnaeus). Biol. Bull. (Woods 

 Hole) 94: 244-262. 

 LINDNER, MILTON J., and WILLIAM W. 

 ANDERSON. 

 1956. Growth, migrations, spawning and 

 size distributions of shrimp, Penaeus 

 setiferus . U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Fish. 

 Bull. 56: 553-645. 

 LUNZ, G. ROBERT. 



1963. Annual report 1961-1962, Bears Bluff 

 Laboratories. Contrib. Bears Bluff 

 Lab. 37, 13 pp. 

 WILLIAMS, AUSTIN B. 



1955. A contribution to the life histories of 

 commercial shrimps (Penaeidae) in 

 North Carolina. Bull. Mar. Sci. Gulf 

 Carib.. 5: 116-146. 

 1965. Marine decapod crustaceans of the 

 Carolinas. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Fish. 

 Bull. 65: 1-298. 



16 



