11-14 



Distributional overlap among the groups was usually related to 

 variations in behavior patterns in differing life-history stages, 

 although in some cases extrinsic environmental variables may have 

 affected behavior and thus distribution. Also, some species were 

 vibiquitous and thus defy assignment to a specific assemblage or group- 

 ing. 



The characteristic and occasional component species of the 

 assemblages associated with shore-zone, demersal and pelagic habitats on 

 a seasonal basis are discussed below. This discussion focuses on 

 patterns of spatial and temporal distribution observed in New Haven Har- 

 bor from April 1971 through October 1977. 



Shore-zone Fishes 



Numerous recent studies of shore-zone fishes of the U.S. 

 Atlantic coast have been published, invariably utilizing seines of 

 various characteristics. The surf-zone fishes of Fire Island, Long 

 Island, were investigated by Schaefer (1967) . Shore-zone fishes of 

 different substrate types in Great South Bay, Long Island, were studied 

 by Briggs and O'Connor (1971). Briggs (1975) also studied the shore- 

 zone fishes of Fire Island Inlet, Long Island. The shore-zone fishes of 

 Gardiner's Island, New York, were sampled and reported in Reisman and 

 Nicol (1973). Monitoring studies for Long Island Lighting Company at 

 their Shoreham and Northport generating stations (Perlmutter, 1969, 

 1970, 1971; Austin, Dickinson and Hickey, 1973; Austin and Amish, 1974; 

 Zawacki and Briggs, 1976) included studies of shore-zone fishes. Shore- 

 zone fishes were also surveyed at Niantic Bay for Northeast Utilities 

 Service Company; these data are summarized in two recent reports (NUSCO, 

 1977; 1978) . The only published historical data on the finfish of New 

 Haven Harbor is a report on shore-zone populations (Warfel and Merriman, 

 1944) . 



