adequate data for developing basic models of either the 

 shallow-water estuarine or surf-zone ichthyofauna oc- 

 curring over shell-hash, sandy, or muddy bottoms and 

 should be useful both in identifying natural pertur- 

 bations and artificial stresses and in predicting their 

 effects. 



CONCLUSIONS AND SUMMARY 



1. Fifty-one collections were made in the surf and 36 

 in the tidal pool from which some 512 specimens of swim- 

 ming invertebrates representing at least 17 species and 

 5,095 specimens of bony fishes representing 41 species 

 were collected. 



2. The surf and tidal pool collections differ 

 significantly with respect to number of species per collec- 

 tion when averaged over both years and all seasons. 



3. Winter and summer differ significantly in number 

 of species per collection. 



4. Both the main effect of location and the location- 

 by-season interaction show highly significant differences 

 in number of specimens per collection. 



5. There is a highly significant difference between the 

 average number of specimens per collection in the surf 

 versus the tidal pool for those collections made in winter 

 and a significant difference for summer. 



6. There is a highly significant difference between 

 years for the total weight of fishes per collection. This is 

 due in part to the capture during the first year of a 

 number of comparatively large specimens of Mugil 

 cephalus and a single specimen of Pogonias cromis 

 weighing more than 1.2 kg. 



7. The main effect of location shows a highly signifi- 

 cant difference in total weight of fishes per collection and 

 the location-by-season interaction is significant. 



8. There is a highly significant difference between 

 surf and tidal pool in average total weight of fishes per 

 collection for winter and summer and a significant 

 difference for spring. 



9. Six species of fishes (Anchoa mitchilli, Fundulus 

 majalis, Menidia menidia, Trachinotus carolinus, Men- 

 ticirrhus littoralis, and Mugil curema) accounted for 94% 

 of the specimens of fishes collected and 72% of the 

 ichthyomass. One species, Arenaeus cribrarius, made up 

 82% of the swimming invertebrate specimens and 75% of 

 the mass of swimming invertebrates. 



10. Species were ranked as to "importance." In the 

 surf and tidal pool combined the order of decreasing "im- 

 portance" for the most abundant species was Menidia 

 menidia, Arenaeus cribrarius, Trachinotus carolinus, 

 Menticirrhus littoralis and Mugil curema, Anchoa 

 mitchilli, and Fundulus majalis. 



11. Water temperature and its square correlated 

 significantly with number of specimens for each of five of 

 the most important species (Arenaeus cribrarius, Anchoa 

 mitchilli, Menidia menidia, Trachinotus carolinus, and 

 Menticirrhus littoralis) collected in the surf. Height of 

 sea was significantly correlated with occurrence for A. 

 mitchilli and M. littoralis; and a significant negative cor- 



relation existed between salinity and number of 

 specimens for M. menidia. 



12. The prediction equation for monthly average 

 number of specimens per collection contained water 

 temperature, the square of water temperature, and 

 salinity as independent variables for Menidia menidia, 

 but only water temperature appeared in the equations for 

 all other species examined except Anchoa mitchilli, 

 which contained visibility of Secchi disc (in addition to 

 water temperature) as an independent variable. 



13. Arenaeus cribrarius has a prolonged spawning 

 period; ovigerous females were collected as early as mid- 

 June, recently spawned females as late as mid- 

 September, and small specimens (20 mm CW or smaller) 

 from May through October. 



14. Ripe specimens of Menidia menidia were observed 

 from late March to early June. Specimens of M. menidia 

 50 mm SL or smaller were rarely collected. Because this 

 virtual absence of small individuals of M. menidia does 

 not appear to be related to the method of collection, this 

 species presumably occupies a habitat other than the 

 surf zone during its early life history. 



15. Trachinotus carolinus has a prolonged spawning 

 period; specimens 22 mm SL or smaller appeared in the 

 catch from mid-April through late October. 



16. Specimens of Menticirrhus littoralis less than 30 

 mm SL were collected from June through November in- 

 dicating an extended spawning period. 



17. The apparent absence of juveniles of Paralichthys 

 squamilentus in the waters of South Carolina before 1969 

 is a result for the most part of inadequate collecting. 



18. Sphoeroides spengleri is reported for the first time 

 from the waters of South Carolina. 



19. Relationships of carapace length to carapace width 

 and these measurements to weight are presented for the 

 decapod crustacean Arenaeus cribrarius; and the 

 relationships of lengths and lengths to weight are 

 presented for eight species of fishes. 



20. Recommendations for improving surveys similar 

 to the one reported herein are given. 



21. Stochastic effects seem to be important in deter- 

 mining the catch in the surf and associated tidal pools of 

 sandy beaches. 



22. Species inhabiting the surf zone must be able to 

 cope with wide ranges in turbulence, turbidity, quan- 

 tities of suspended particles in the medium, current 

 velocity, and bottom characteristics. In addition to the 

 above factors, a number of meteorological and seasonal 

 changes are superimposed producing variations in 

 temperature and salinity. Highly motile species may 

 move into or out of the surf zone depending upon 

 prevalent conditions. This may account in part for some 

 of the variations in catch. 



23. The macrofauna of the tidal pool is a depauperate 

 derivative of the surf zone. 



24. Species collected in the tidal pool were probably 

 attracted there to some degree by their different 

 ecological requirements and tolerances. In addition, 

 larger individuals tend to avoid being trapped in these 

 pools, whereas smaller ones (of species such as 



22 



