274 
BULLETIN OF THE BUEEAU OF FISHERIES 
water. We have measured a considerable number of spots collected throughout most of the year at 
Beaufort, N. C., and find that, allowing for a somewhat longer growing season, the growth corre- 
sponds fairly well with that of Chesapeake Bay. It appears from the data collected that the 
Chesapeake Bay spot attains a length of about 5 inches at one year of age. 
Spawning takes place in late autumn and probably during the winter, and apparently at sea, 
for in the fall a general exodus of large fish with maturing roe takes place from the bay, the height 
of this migration occurring during late September and throughout October. The gonads of 104 
spots caught at Ocean View, Va., on October 16, 1922, ranging in length from 114 to 268 millimeters 
(4J^ to 103^ inches), were examined for the status of development. The smallest fish in this lot 
that had ripening roe was a female ^14 millimeters (8^ inches) in length. The ovaries and testes 
of the larger fish were in various stages of development, suggesting that the spawning season is a 
protracted one. A female and a male, respectively 214 and 224 millimeters (8^ and 8 % inches) 
long, had very immature gonads, which probably would not have ripened by the coming winter. 
Fish with large roe, however, have been observed only during autumn and early in the winter.. 
In the spring the spot is thin and poor, as shown elsewhere, indicating that it probably has spent 
much energy in the process of reproduction. Nearly all spots that remain in the deeper parts of 
the Chesapeake during the winter are immature fish, less than 6 inches in length. In fact, there is 
no evidence available (as already indicated) that spawning takes place within the bay. However, 
the young appear to enter when quite small. 
The spot is one of the most important food fishes found in Chesapeake Bay. During 1920 it 
ranked seventh in quantity and sixth in value, the catch being 837,845 pounds, worth $63,138. 
In Maryland it ranked eighth in quantity and ninth in value, the catch being 51,692 pounds, 
worth $3,138. Of this amount, 48 per cent was caught with pound nets, 46 per cent with haul 
seines, 3 per cent with purse seines, and 3 per cent with lines. Kent County is credited with the 
largest catch, namely 20,710 pounds, followed by Dorchester with 8,500 and Calvert with 5,010 
pounds. 
In Virginia the spot ranked sixth, both in quantity and value, the catch being 786,153 pounds, 
worth $60,000. Of this amount, 50 per cent was caught with pound nets, 33 per cent with haul 
seines, 12 per cent with gill nets, and 5 per cent with lines The bulk of the catch was taken in three 
counties, namely, Norfolk, 260,800; Princess Anne, 148,000; and Elizabeth City, 142,400 pounds. 
The spot is caught in the Chesapeake from April until November, but the largest part of the 
catch is taken during September and October. Records obtained from a set of two pound nets at 
Lynnhaven Roads, Va., give the first catch of marketable spots in quantities of 10 pounds or more 
on the following dates: April 5, 1910, May 17, 1912, April 25, 1916, April 21, 1917, May 1, 1918, 
April 14, 1919, March 29, 1920, April 25, 1921, and April 4, 1922. The catch of marketable fish 
taken during April and May is usually very small. Large numbers of 6 and 7 inch spots often appear 
in April, but these are discarded by the fishermen as they are not in prime condition and have no 
marketable value. Large quantities of these small spots are destroyed annually by fishermen 
