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Fishery Bulletin 99(3) 
Figure 9 
Monthly length frequency of ladyfish, Elops saut'us, in the Indian River Lagoon. Early- and mid-metamorphic 
larvae were excluded because length decreases as they develop. Data from all years (1990-95), all gear types, 
and sampling zones (A-E) were plotted, n = number of fish sampled. 
(250-300 mm SL) by winter. In Florida Bay, age-0 lady- 
fish entered estuaries at similar stages during spring 
and reached similar overwintering sizes as well (Roess- 
ler, 1970). In constrast, Carles (1967) estimated much 
slower growth rates for ladyfish residing in hypersaline 
lagoons of Cuba, with sizes at annulus formation of 130 
mm SL at annulus I, 195 mm SL at annulus II, and 247 
mm SL at annulus III. If the growth increments observed 
by Carles (1967) are indeed annual (he used unvalidated 
scale annuli), then hypersaline ( >35 ppt) conditions may 
