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Fishery Bulletin 95(4), 1997 
variability in age of larvae entering 
the estuary, Warlen ( 1982) postulates 
two offshore spawning locations for 
Atlantic croaker entering Beaufort. 
Warlen’s conclusions imply potential 
differences in spawning source be- 
tween larvae entering Chesapeake Bay 
and some of those entering Beaufort 
Inlet. 
The purpose of the present study 
was to examine age and growth of 
larval and juvenile Atlantic croaker 
from the MAB and estuarine waters 
of Chesapeake Bay by using daily 
growth rings on otoliths. Specifically, 
we investigated the variability of 
size, size and age of entry into Chesa- 
peake Bay, calculated hatching-date 
distributions to estimate spawning 
periodicity, and estimated temporal 
and spatial differences in growth 
rates. In addition, we determined if 
there were significant differences in 
age counts between lapillar and sag- 
ittal otoliths and in size and age 
counts between left and right sagit- 
tal otoliths. Finally, we compared the 
relation between otolith growth and 
somatic growth for field-captured At- 
lantic croaker with results presented 
in the literature. 
Materials and methods 
Sampling regime 
Figure 1 
Station locations in estuarine waters of Virginia for collection of larval and juvenile 
Atlantic croaker from 21 September 1987 to 30 March 1988. 
Larval Atlantic croaker were col- 
lected in the MAB (from Cape Hen- 
lopen, Delaware, to Cape Hatteras, 
North Carolina; Fig. 1) from 3 November to 14 No- 
vember 1987 from the shore to the 91-m (50-fm) con- 
tour with a stratified grid system illustrated in the 
MARMAP Plankton Survey Manual (Jossi and 
Marak, 1983). Seven additional stations at 2-km in- 
tervals were sampled along a transect across the 
mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Larvae were sampled 
in oblique tows with a 60-cm bongo sampler contain- 
ing 505-prn mesh. Larval and juvenile Atlantic 
croaker sampled by Norcross and Hata ( 1990) were 
collected monthly from 29 September 1987 to 10 
March 1988 at three inshore stations at Virginia’s 
Eastern Shore (Wachapreague, Sand Shoal, and 
Occohannock Channel) and at two stations at the 
mouth of the York River (Guinea and Tue Marshes; 
Fig. 1) with two 4.9-m otter trawls (one lined, one 
unlined) towed simultaneously. The lined net had a 
6.4-mm mesh and a 3.2-mm mesh liner, and the un- 
lined net a 15.9-mm mesh. Additional larval and ju- 
venile Atlantic croaker were collected monthly from 
21 September 1987 to 1 February 1988 at 8.1-km 
intervals along a 40. 2-km transect running from the 
mouth of the York River to the mouth of the Chesa- 
peake Bay (Fig. 1) with an otter trawl with a 9.1-m 
lined net containing 15.9-mm mesh and a 6.4-mm 
mesh liner. Finally, juvenile Atlantic croaker sampled 
by Dameron et al. 1 were collected monthly from 25 
January to 30 March 1988 in the channels of the York 
and James Rivers at 8. 1-km intervals from the mouth 
of the two rivers to 56.3 km upstream (Fig. 1) with 
