TRANSACTIONS 
OP THE 
ROYAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
YOL. YIIL 
EEPEODUCTION OF FISHES IN TABLE BAY. 
By J. D. F. Gilchrist, M.A., D.Sc, Ph.D., and H. Hunter. 
(With Plates I and II.) 
The following account of the reproduction of fishes in Table Bay is 
based on material collected by tow- netting throughout the period of one 
year. Many eggs of fishes of various kinds were procured and hatched out 
to their free larval stage. The character of eggs and larvae are described, 
and, as far as possible, identified, and the times and relative abundance of 
spawning are noted. A few tow-nettings were also carried out at Knysna 
and contained fish eggs, and the eggs of some fish procured from mature 
females were also obtained and these are included. 
Some of the results of this work have been somewhat unexpected, as, for 
instance, the presence of large quantities of the eggs of the Anchovy 
(EngrauUs capensis) in Table Bay, a fish which is not well known to the 
Cape fishermen. The eggs were found towards the end of September and 
again in January, so that the spawning period is evidently in the summer 
months. The eggs of the Sardine (Sardina sagax) were found in quantity 
in September. The eggs of the Maasbanker were found in fair abundance 
in August and a few in September, and this appears also to be the spawning 
time of the Sole (Synaptura microlepis) . The eggs of the White Stumpnose 
(Chrysophrys glohiceps) were found chiefly from August to March. The 
most abundant of all were the eggs of a small fish, so little known that it 
has no local name. This fish belongs to the genus 07i"S (Motella). Its 
eggs were abundant throughout the whole period. Another fish (Agriopus, 
the " Horse Fish seems also to spawn throughout the year. The eggs 
were found in abundance on the surface, but sometimes at some depth. 
These were the only submerged eggs procured, and their occurrence at some 
distance from the surface is probably due to their relatively large size and 
heaviness. The eggs of the Stockfish were not procured in abundance. The 
spawning period seems to be from July to October. 
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