180 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
Crustaceans form the bulk of food for this species at this size, and almost nine- 
tenths of that consists of ostracods. The presence of insect remains suggests the 
proximity of fresh water, as the species represented was referable to the genus 
Chironomus. The tests of Foraminifera might have been taken with the sand 
grains in a similar incidental manner. 
Fernandina, Fla., March 8, 1920 . — Much of the food of 57 examples, 8 to 13 cm. 
in length, taken in a shrimp trawl, was macerated to such an extent as to be totally 
beyond identification. 
Volumetric 
percentage. 
Crustaceans 36.0 
Mollusks 18.0 
Polychset worms 2. 0 
Echinoderms 5 
Fish 5 
Unidentified material 43.0 
A few crustaceans were probably copepods, and one was definitely an amphipod. 
Most of the rest of the crustacean remains were fragments of what were also evi- 
dently small individuals. All the mollusks were small bivalves, most of which were 
less than 2 mm. across the greatest width of shell, except a single gastropod of 
small size. A single small brittle-star made up the echinoderm food. Fish were 
represented by some remains of a single individual partly digested. Amongst the 
unidentified material were found a few small tubes consisting of sand grains cemented 
together, which were possibly formed by some marine worm. 
The small inferior mouth of Leiostomus xanthurus at once marks it as a bottom 
feeder. This is well supported by contents of the stomachs, which, although not 
consisting entirely of benthose, contain a considerable portion of organisms found 
only resting on the sea floor. This form might well be considered one of the species 
connecting the pelagic with the typical bottom forms. 
Micropogon undulatus (Linnaeus). Croaker, Crocus, Hardhead. 
Micropogon undulatus (fig. 41) is one of the commonest food fishes of the 
Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is occasionally taken as far north as Cape Cod but 
is seldom found in abundance north of New Jersey, where it occurs during the 
spring, summer, and autumn months. 
The spawning season is a long one, extending from August to December, and 
possibly later in southern waters. Ripe males, with running milt, have been taken 
at Atlantic City, N. J., early in July, and although no ripe females have been re- 
corded earlier than September, the size of fry taken in Chesapeake Bay on September 
12, 1916 (3.2, 3.6, and 4.1 cm.), and in New York Bay, N. Y., September 7 to 21, 
1922 (2.25, 2.8, and 2.9 cm.), indicates that some spawning must occur in August. 
Post-larval stages of less than 4 cm. in length have been taken in Chesapeake Bay 
from September to March, inclusive, and examples of only 1 cm. have been taken in 
the middle of January. Spawning takes place in the larger estuaries, such as 
Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. The eggs and larval stages have not yet been 
studied, the smallest post-larval examples recorded having a length of about 1 cm. 
