Abundance And Size 153 



tember and late February, with the majority of spawning between late September 

 through November (Warlen 1982). Evidence of summer spawning was present- 

 ed by Hettler and Barker (1993) who caught 7 mm Atlantic croaker at both inlets 

 in late August 1989. Atlantic croaker this size are probably about 30-days old 

 (Warlen 1982). In April at Ocracoke Inlet, the size of croaker dropped to less 

 than 10 mm due possibly to inshore spawning. The corresponding density data, 

 however, did not indicate the arrival of significant numbers of newly spawned 

 larvae. 



Spot increased in length about 2 mm per month after early January and 

 were nearly identical in size at both inlets. At Oregon Inlet no further increase in 

 length was noted until mid-March, when a few early juveniles (>17 mm)' were 

 caught. It is difficult to determine if these juveniles had just entered following 

 ocean transport, or were established residents in the inlet or nearby estuary. 

 Juvenile spot (20-26 mm) have been collected in that inlet in May and June 1989 

 (Hettler and Barker 1993). Spot size data before January and after late March are 

 probably not useful, as few larvae were caught. 



The mean lengths of pinfish and both species of flounders increased 

 during the sampling period. Pinfish were typically about 1 mm smaller at Ocra- 

 coke than at Oregon Inlet and showed a slight increase in average size at both 

 inlets from December to February. After January, few pinfish were caught at Ore- 

 gon Inlet. The average lengths of both species of flounder at both inlets increased 

 about 2 mm from December to February. In mid-March at Ocracoke when den- 

 sities of southern flounder were highest, this species was about 13 mm. When 

 summer flounder peaked in density at Oregon Inlet in mid-December, they also 

 averaged 13 mm. 



CONCLUSIONS 



From these quasi-synoptic weekly abundance and size estimates of the 

 winter-immigrating marine fish larvae at two major inlets to Pamlico Sound, it 

 appears that Oregon Inlet imported larger-sized individuals and higher densities 

 of Atlantic menhaden, Atlantic croaker, and summer flounder (important com- 

 mercial species) significantly earlier than at Ocracoke. In winters with mild tem- 

 peratures, cohorts of older, larger larvae that establish in the nursery areas with- 

 in Pamlico Sound early in the season may have a survival advantage over cohorts 

 of larvae entering later through either inlet; in severe winters the converse 

 would apply as inferred by Hoss et al. (1988). 



The relative value of each inlet as a larval pathway for future juvenile 

 production and recruitment into the fisheries cannot be extrapolated from these 

 data without comparing analyses of the daily age structure of immigrating larvae 

 with juveniles emigrating Pamlico Sound nurseries. Towards this goal, larval 

 specimens furnished from this study are now undergoing age and growth analy- 

 ses: Atlantic menhaden (J. Rice, North Carolina State University); Atlantic 



