Fundulus majalis (Walbaum) (Cyprinodontidae). 

 Although this species was collected in all seasons of both 

 years except the spring of the second year, 71% of the 

 specimens were obtained during the summer. In 18 

 collections (3 from the surf and 15 from the tidal pool), 

 344 specimens of 26 to 84 mm SL (3, 38-67 mm SL, from 

 the surf, and 341, 26-84 mm SL, from the tidal pool) of F. 

 majalis weighing 744 g (10 from the surf and 734 from the 

 tidal pool) were collected. 



Menidia spp. (Atherinidae). Rubinoff and Shaw (1960) 

 separated Menidia beryllina (Cope) collected in 

 Massachusetts from M. menidia (Linnaeus) collected in 

 Massachusetts and New York mainly on the basis of 

 number of soft rays in the anal fin. Their 251 specimens 

 of M. beryllina had a range of 14 to 19, usually 15 to 17, 

 anal soft rays (x = 15.6), whereas their 134 specimens of 

 M. menidia had a range of 20 to 29, usually 22 to 25 (x = 

 23.5). In Rubinoff and Shaw's collections only one 

 specimen had 19 anal soft rays and only one had 20. They 

 assigned these specimens to species on the basis of size 

 and total number of lateral scales. 



Robbins (1969) examined M. beryllina collected from 

 Massachusetts to Vera Cruz, Mexico, and M. menidia 

 from Prince Edward Island to northeastern Florida. In 

 1,952 specimens of M. beryllina, he found a range of 12 to 

 21, usually 15 to 18, anal soft rays (i = 16.37), and in 

 1,504 specimens of M. menidia a range of 19 to 29, usually 

 21 to 26 (x = 23.60). 



The distribution of counts of anal soft rays for 1,658 of 

 our 2,141 specimens of Menidia is: 



N 



1 



0.1 







0.0 



3 



0.2 



16 



1.0 



94 



5.7 



292 



17.6 



511 



30.8 



415 



25.0 



223 



13.4 



85 



5.1 



16 



1.0 



1 



0.1 



1 



0.1 



16 

 17 

 18 

 19 

 20 

 21 

 22 

 23 

 24 

 25 

 26 

 27 

 28 



Because the distribution appears almost normal there 

 may be only one species of this genus represented in our 

 collections. A contrary interpretation, and the one that 

 we prefer, is that both Menidia beryllina and M. menidia 

 are present, but due to overlap in ranges of counts of anal 

 soft rays there is no clear line of demarcation between the 

 species using this character. On a number of specimens, 

 representing the entire range of counts of anal fin rays 

 recorded, we counted total vertebrae and lateral scales. 

 These counts were of little help in separating the two 

 species. Weighing the preceding, we arbitrarily con- 

 sidered specimens of Menidia with 19 or fewer anal soft 

 rays as M. beryllina and those with 20 or more as M. 

 menidia. 



In 14 collections (10 from the surf and 4 from the tidal 

 pool), 26 specimens of 46 to 75 mm SL (22, 52-75 mm SL, 



from the surf and 4, 46-65 mm SL, from the tidal pool) of 

 M. beryllina weighing 53 g (44 from the surf and 9 from 

 the tidal pool) were obtained. This species was collected 

 in the autumn and winter of both years and in the spring 

 of the first year. 



In 54 collections (36 from the surf and 18 from the tidal 

 pool), 2,115 specimens of 21 to 89 mm SL (1,485, 21-89 

 mm SL, from the surf and 630, 31-86 mm SL, from the 

 tidal pool) of M. menidia weighing 6,226 g (4,025 from 

 the surf and 2,201 from the tidal pool) were obtained. 

 This species was collected in all seasons of both years. 

 However, 53% of the specimens were seined in winter and 

 less than 0.5% in summer. The relationship of mean 

 number per collection and mean station water 

 temperature (in the surf by months) is shown in Figure 

 2. Small individuals of M. menidia utilize habitats other 

 than those of the surf zone. Only about 0.4% of the 

 specimens collected were 50 mm SL or smaller (Table 

 19). We do not believe that the virtual absence of M. 

 menidia less than 50 mm SL is an artifact of the collec- 

 ting method because we collected numbers of small in- 

 dividuals of similarly shaped species. Ripe individuals 

 were noted from late March to early June. Cupka (1972) 

 found sexually mature specimens from mid-March 

 through early June. 



Trachinotus carolinus (Linnaeus) (Carangidae). This 

 species was collected in both years in all seasons except 

 winter, but 68% of the specimens were seined in the spring 

 of the first year. Most of those caught in that season 

 were less than 30 mm SL and from the tidal pool (Table 

 20). Almost 61% of the total number were obtained from 

 the tidal pool on two successive collecting days in June 

 1970. A prolonged spawning period is indicated for this 

 species because small specimens (22 mm SL or smaller) 

 were caught from mid-April through late October 

 (specimens 14 mm SL or smaller in April, May, June, 

 September, and October). This is similar to the findings 

 of several other authors (Fields 1962; Finucane 1969; 

 Bellinger and Avault 1970; Cupka 1972). In 42 collections 

 (29 from the surf and 13 from the tidal pool), 976 

 specimens of 12 to 93 mm SL (266, 12-93 mm SL, from 

 the surf and 710, 12-66 mm SL, from the tidal pool) of T. 

 carolinus weighing 1,519 g (1,018 from the surf and 501 

 from the tidal pool) were obtained. 



Menticirrhus littoralis (Holbrook) (Sciaenidae). 

 Although this species was collected in all seasons of both 

 years, 62% of the specimens were obtained in summer, 

 but only about 3% in winter. In 36 collections (34 from 

 the surf and 2 from the tidal pool), 294 specimens of 19 to 

 149 mm SL (291, 19-149 mm SL, from the surf and 3, 31- 

 76 mm SL, from the tidal pool), of M. littoralis weighing 

 843 g (831 from the surf and 12 from the tidal pool) were 

 collected. Hildebrand and Cable (1934) suggested that 

 spawning starts near Cape Lookout, N.C., no later than 

 1 May and continues into August. The capture of in- 

 dividuals measuring less than 30 mm SL from June 

 through November during our survey indicates a similar 

 situation off South Carolina with spawning probably ex- 

 tending into September (Table 21). Tagatz and Dudley 



16 



