FISHERIES OF PAMLICO AND CORE SOUNDS 57 
LIFE HISTORY OF THE GRAY TROUT 
In outlining the life history of the gray trout it must be admitted 
at the start that our knowledge is extremely fragmentary and quite 
inadequate in many directions. No complete or convincing study has 
been made of the details of the life history and habits of this species. 
The most useful contributions to our knowledge have been made by 
Taylor,’ Welsh and Breder,”® and Hildebrand and Schroeder." 
In the present investigation no attempt has been made to study the 
life history of the trout by means of scales, for it was felt that the 
major objects of the investigation would be served by employing 
less involved methods. All our discussions, therefore, concerning 
age and rate of growth, age at first maturity, etc., are subject to 
revision when more exact determinations of age are possible. Ex- 
tensive collections of scales from the fish studied in this investigation 
have been retained for that purpose for subsequent treatment. 
Spawning.—As has been noted by other authors, the spawning 
period of the gray trout occurs during the summer months, from 
May to September. Welsh and Breder state that the great majority 
of the fish spawn between the middle of May and the middle of 
June and that the season appears to be little affected by latitude. 
Spawning occurs from the Carolinas to Cape Cod. 
Table 14 presents our data concerning the relative number of 
spawning fish among all mature females * taken in pound nets in 
Pamlico Sound. When our investigation began in the second week 
of June virtually all mature females were found to be in a spawning 
condition; that is, the eggs were large and distinct and the ovaries 
greatly swollen. In only a few, however, were free-running, ripe eggs 
discovered. Although there is variation among the different localities, 
it can be seen from the column of averages that the percentage of 
spawning fish fell rapidly during the season, from 100 per cent in early 
June to 0 by the end of the first week in August. This indicates that 
spawning in Pamlico Sound reached its height during June and was 
completed for that season by August 10. These facts are represented 
graphically in Figure 14. 
TaBLe 14.—Percentage of spawning females among all mature females in pound- 
net catches, Pamlico Sound, N. C., 1925. (Average by weeks) 








Ports- Brant | Point of Gull wee 
Date mouth | L¥pton | qsjand | Marsh Rock | Average 
E | 
Tey ch Se at Ee aa 2 ees 1 ees El Recep ae eee CNS ee 100 
ANCE (YT TE 1s te aw Sea ar ele pee asa Le SA 100 95 NOOR eee ost Be: eens 98 
iidiits"0) 97a 99 92 SERRE Ras 87 84 
SET Bc oer a Se a ec aa aes 2a 98 75 1) ae 95 82 
DTH ViGa eee ORR EET TAM et 100 68 43) | See eee » 89 75 
Heilyala initiate tse 0? ug Fick boo en Ae 60 Soi lee Was ae | 73 54 
ACL LAOS ee el a age Dee A eral lp ee We 51 12 | 22 | 48 33 
Valves, Aa Me LIS reane Eire 18 4 | 28 52 26 
Aiea eRe aie: Oke Pe Nb eee at hee Peed 0 | 3 | 3 0 2 
Mrcetgmces Ol Riese Es ae ah 0. 0. 0 0 0 


® The Structure and Growth of the Scales of the Squeteague and the Pigfish as Indicative of Life History. 
By Harden F. Taylor. Bulletin, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, Vol. XX XIV, 1914 (1916), pp. 285-330, Pls. 
L-LIX, 8 text figs. Washington, 1916. 
10 Contributions to Life Histories of Sciwnide of the Eastern United States Coast. By William W. Welsh 
and C. M. Breder, jr. Bulletin, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, Vol. XX XIX, 1923-24 (1924), pp. 141-201, 60 
figs. Washington, 1923. 
11 Fishes of Chesapeake Bay. By Samuel F. Hildebrand and William C. Schroeder. Bulletin, U. S. 
Bureau of Fisheries, Vol. XLIII, 1927, Part I. (In press.) 
12 Mature fish, as shown in Table 15, are never less than 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) in length. 
