Studies of the Early Life History of Atlantic Menhaden 

 in Estuarine Nurseries 



Part [--Seasonal Occurrence of Juvenile Menhaden 

 and Other Small Fishes in a Tributary Creek of 

 Indian River, Delaware, 1957-58 



By 



ANTHONY L. PACHECO and GEORGE C. GRANT 



ABSTRACT 



Monthly occurrences and size ranges of juvenile Atlantic nnenhaden and other 

 small fishes in a tributary creek of Indian River, Del., are summarized from nearly 

 800 seine collections made over a 1 5-month period, 1957-58. Fish of 32 families, 

 48 genera, and 58 species were caught. Atlantic menhaden was the principal spring- 

 fall migrant during this study. The resident fish group was principally composed of 

 three cyprinodont and two atherinid species. Peak catches of migrants were made in 

 March and September and of resident species in November. Summaries of seasonal 

 availability and distribution of species, as well as notes on occurrence of the 

 smallest specimen of each principal species, are included. Sampling problems and 

 similarities of the fish fauna to those described in other estuaries along the Atlantic 

 coast of the United States are discussed. 



INTRODUCTION 



The Atlantic menhaden ( Brevoortia tyrannus ) 

 depends upon the estuarine environment for 

 part of its life cycle (June and Chamberlin, 

 1959). Larvae and juveniles have been re- 

 ported in nearly every river system along the 

 Atlantic coast of the United States from Maine 

 to Florida (DeSylva, Kalber, and Shuster, 

 1962; June and Chamberlin, 1959; Mass- 

 mann, Ladd, and McCutcheon, 1952; Raney and 

 Massmann, 1953; Scattergood, Trefethen, and 

 Coffin, 1951; Sutherland, 1963). 



The Bureau of Commercial Fisheries studied 

 the early life history stages of this species in 

 White Creek, a tributary of Indian River, Del., 

 from April 1957 to June 1958. The purpose was 

 to determine the biotic and abiotic factors 

 that nnight affect the distribution, growth, 

 behavior, survival, and abundance of larvae 

 and juveniles within a single nursery area. 

 Data collected included temperature, salinity, 

 hydrogen ion concentration, phosphate con- 



Note: Anthony L. Pacheco, Fishery Biologist (Research), 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Biological Laboratory, 

 Beaufort, N.C., and George C. Grant, Department of Ocea- 

 nography, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R,I., 

 formerly Fishery Biologist (Research), Bureau of Com- 

 merlcal Fisheries Field Station, Millvllle, Del. 



centration, dissolved oxygen, and plankton 

 volume at eight locations (figure 1). Fishes 

 also were collected. 



This report summarizes data on the fish 

 collections, including (1) a checklist of species 

 and (2) their seasonal occurrence, distribu- 

 tion, and relative abundance. Comparative data 

 from nearby localities (DeSylva, Kalber, and 

 Shuster, 1962; Schwartz, 1961) are discussed. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE CREEK AND 

 SAMPLING LOCATIONS 



White Creek (figure 1) flows northeasterly 

 into Indian River Bay, the small, shallow 

 estuary of Indian River, The surrounding 

 terrain is generally low, nearly featureless, 

 and typical of the middle Atlantic coastal 

 plain. Most of the watershed is farm land, 

 with corn and soybeans the principal field 

 crops. 



The creek shoreline is mostly in its natural 

 state. Shores have not been extensively cut or 

 filled, and only scattered residential develop- 

 ment has occurred. Landward, the intertidal 

 beach is fringed with the salt marsh cord- 

 grass (Spartina alterniflora ) and threesquare 

 ( Scirpus americanus ), behind which the salt 

 hays ( Spartina patens and Distichlis spicata) 



