ABSTRACT 



Menhaden have been important conrimercial fishes in the United 

 States since colonial days. In this review of the literature on menhaden 

 biology, scattered sources of information are brought together. The chief 

 papers on Atlantic menhaden and practically every piece of biological 

 literature on Gulf of Mexico menhaden are cited. Atlantic and Gulf men- 

 haden literature are treated separately in topical arrangement. 



The menhaden fishery developed sporadically in the Gulf of Mexico 

 until 1939. Landings exceeded 200 nnillion pounds for the first time in 1949 

 and the record catch of 1956 was more than 550 million pounds. Most of 

 the Gulf landings come from Louisiana waters. 



There are five North American species of Brevoortia. B, Smithi 

 inhabits both Atlantic and Gulf waters. The Atlantic menhaden fishery is 

 dependent on B. tyrannus and Gulf menhaden fishermen catch B. patronus, 



Brevoortia tyrannus spawn at sea, or in high salinities, and the larvae 

 move to low salinity areas which are essential to their development- 

 Spawning time apparently depends on water temperature and occurs off 

 the South Atlantic States in winter and in spring and summer farther north. 

 Menhaden eggs and early larvae have not been reported from the Gulf of 

 Mexico. Collections of larvae and juveniles indicate that BrevOOrtia 

 patronus spawn in high salinities during the fall, winter and spring. 



Larvae reach low salinity waters before metamorphosis. On the 

 nursery grounds, body proportions change from the larval stage to the 

 adult at about 30 mm. standard length, and the young fish move toward 

 open waters of higher salinity in the summer and fall. The number of 

 young on the nursery grounds varies greatly from year to year. No long 

 migrations of menhaden are known in the Gulf. There are little data on the 

 growth rate of Gulf menhaden. 



Brevoortia patronus is known to feed by filtration and, in turbid 

 estuarine waters, consumes considerable quantities of detritus and sus- 

 pended bacteria in addition to living plankton. 



Bluefish, mackerel, sharks and tarpon are the chief enemies of 

 Gulf menhaden, and birds take a toll. The common shore and shallow- 

 water sport fishes seem not to subsist to any great extent on larger 

 menhaden, but predation upon small menhaden in the bays seem to be 

 heavy. A few menhaden have been reported killed in the Gulf by sudden 

 cold waves and the "red tide'* kills numbers of menhaden in Florida 

 waters. 



There is no evidence that menhaden are affected by any fatal 

 diseases in the Gulf of Mexico but they are characteristically host to a 

 number of worm and crustacean parasites. 



Few fish other than menhaden are taken by menhaden fishermen. 



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