190 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
Menticirrhus americanus is at once seen to be a bottom form, both from its 
food and its anatomical characters — sensitive barbels and flattened ventral profile. 
The same is true of M. saxatilis. The young, however, judging from their food, 
are less given to keeping to the bottom and exercise considerably more agility. 
Menticirrhus saxatilis (Bloch and Schneider). Kingfish, King Whiting, Hake, 
Barb, Whiting, Sea Mink, Sea Mullet. 
Menticirrhus saxatilis (fig. 55) is found from Cape Cod to Florida but attains 
its greatest abundance north of Chesapeake Bay and is far more abundant in New 
Jersey waters than M. americanus, which species it closely resembles. It can be 
readily distinguished from M. americanus by the presence of an elongated dorsal 
spine (which extends far beyond the anterior rays of the soft dorsal when depressed) 
and the average number of soft rays in the anal fin (eight or nine in saxatilis, seven 
or eight in americanus). These fish usually appear in the shore waters in May 
and remain until autumn, frequenting sandy bottoms just outside the surf and 
sandy channels in the vicinity of inlets. Spawning commences in June and continues 
until August, reaching its maximum in late June or early July. 
A study of the eggs and larval development was made at Atlantic City, N. J., 
during the summer of 1920. The material used was obtained from the pound nets 
on Young’s Million Dollar Pier, where excellent working facilities were provided by 
the owner, Capt. E. L. Young. 
When ripe, the eggs flow freely under slight pressure, the fertilized eggs floating 
immediately. The eggs are spherical, 0.76 to 0.92 mm. in diameter, averaging 
about 0.80 to 0.85 mm., and are almost colorless, some showing a faint, yellowish 
tinge. The yolk contains one or more refractive oil globules, the number varying 
greatly in the eggs of different individual fish. The eggs from some fish show from 
1 to 6 globules, averaging 3 to 4, while in others the number may be from 9 to 18, 
averaging 13 or 14. When only one globule is present, its diameter is from 0.19 
to 0.26 mm. When many are present, they are irregular in size, ranging from about 
0.14 to 0.02 mm. in diameter. As development proceeds these globules become 
amalgamated until at the time of hatching only one is present. 
In still water, at a temperature of 68 to 70° F., the period of incubation is from 
46 to 50 hours. Segmentation and development proceed as in Bairdiella (Kuntz, 
1914). About 18 hours after fertilization grayish chromatophores become dis- 
tributed over the dorso-lateral aspects of the embryo and on the surface of the oil 
globule. At 24 hours the chromatophores on the globule have become black and 
stellate and the embryo is dotted with black punctulations. A number of scattered 
small black chromatophores also appear on the dorsal surface of the yolk sac. 
Figures 46 to 49 illustrate the embryological development. 
Upon hatching, the larva of Menticirrhus saxatilis is from 2 to 2.5 mm. in 
length. The head is slightly deflected, and the globule lies in the posterior portion 
of the yolk sac. The pigmentation consists of three vertical bands of black and 
dull gold chromatophores, one above the anus and two posterior to it, dividing the 
caudal region into three nearly equal parts. A patch of black and dull gold pigment 
lies in the dorsal fin fold anteriorly, and similar chromatophores are scattered over 
