11-18 



anchovies increase in number as spring progresses. By the end of July, 

 the mackerel, alewives, and shad have gone and northern puffers and 

 kingfish become numerous. During this month, herring become scarce and 

 menhaden more abundant. In September and October, young-of-the-year 

 alewives, bluebacks, and shad arrive, followed by the herring and smelt, 

 while kingfish depart. By the end of November, herring and smelt domi- 

 nate the pelagic assemblage. 



Peak abundance for this assemblage is in midsummer, when weak- 

 fish, anchovies, bluefish, and menhaden schools are most dense. As with 

 the demersal and shore-zone assemblages. New Haven's pelagic fish are 

 least abundant in midwinter. 



Representative Species 



Sixteen species representing the New Haven Harbor ichthyofauna 

 are listed in Table 11-1, where each is ranked (where applicable) in 

 abundance, method of capture, duration of harbor usage, commercial 

 value, recreational value, and, most subjectively, ecological impor- 

 tance, which is qualified by a description of each species' usage of the 

 estuary when mature. No shore-zone dominants were selected for consid- 

 eration for the following reasons : 



1. Only three species are collected exclusively in the 

 shore zone: silversides, miommichogs and killifish. 



2. Each of these species is very uniform in size, only 

 adults and large juveniles are captured, and variability 

 in abundance (as indicated by the sampling methods 

 employed) is extremely high. 



3. Each of the species is tolerant of wide ranges of envi- 

 ronmental conditions including temperature, salinity, 

 dissolved oxygen and pollutants. 



