Syngnathidae — pipefishes and seahorses 



Synyiuithim fusciis Storer, northern pii_)efish. 

 Pipefish were c;iuglit from late April 

 through November, but none were taken 

 during the winter or early spring (table 

 8, fig. 3). Growth information from Big- 

 elow and Schroeder (1953) indicates that 

 the small individuals 61 to 141 mm. long 

 caught in late July and August, and most 

 of the s]:)ecimens after August, were 0- 

 grouii fish. 



Table 8. — Numbers and lengths of northern pipefish 

 caught with an otter trawl near Woods Hole, Mass., 

 September 1961 to December 1962. (Pipefish 

 were caught only in the semimonthly periods 

 shown.) 



' Assumed to be young of the year on the basis of 

 data given by Bigelow and Schroeder (1953) and by 

 the seasonal progression of length frequency distribu- 

 tions in the 1961-62 fish. 



Serranidae — sea basses 



CentrojDi.stes striatus (Linnaeus), black 



sea bass. 



The only sea bass caught were 0-group 

 fish (take 9, fig. 3). They were first 

 caught in August and were present until 

 November. These .small fish left the area 

 abrujitly in the autumn after the water 

 temperature had fallen below 14° C. 

 (tables 1, 9). 



Priacanthidae— bigeyes 



Pri.stigei'ijs aitu (Gill), short bigeye. 

 The only c-hort bigeyes caught were two 

 taken during the night of October 22-23, 

 1962, the only time night tows were made. 

 One was 85 mm. long; the other, slightly 

 smaller but not measured. 



Sciaenidae — drums 



Mentieirrhiis saxn^///.s' (Bloch and Schneid- 

 er), northern kingfish. 



Twelve northern kingfish (mean length, 

 14;; mm.; range, 78 to 178 mm.) were 

 caught in Septem'jer 1961 and in Septem- 

 ber and October 1962. Eight of the 12 

 were caught during the night tows of 

 October 22-23, 1962, suggesting that catch- 

 ability or availability was greater at night 

 than during the day. Growth information 

 from Schaefer (1965) indicates that all 

 12 specimens were 0-group fish. 



Mullidae — goatfishes 



Mullus (inratus Jordan and Gilbert, red 



goatfish. 



One red goatfish, 62 mm. long, was caught 

 in late August; another, 80 mm. long, in 

 early September, 1962. 



Table 9. — Numbers and lengths of black sea bass caught 

 with an otter trawl near Woods Hole, Mass., Sep- 

 tember 1961 to December 1962. (Sea bass were 

 caught only in the semimonthly periods shown.) 



Date 



Number 



Total length 



Mean 



Range 



Mm. 



Mm. 



1961 



