REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF WHITINGS OR 
KINGFISHES, DRUMS, SPOT, CROAKER, AND WEAKFISHES 
OR SEA TROUTS, FAMILY SCIAENIDAE, OF THE ATLANTIC 
COAST OF THE UNITED STATES 1 
By Samuel F. Hildebrand, Senior Ichthyologist, United States Bureau of Fisheries, and Louella 
E. Cable , formerly Junior Aquatic Biologist, United States Bureau of Fisheries 
Introduction 
Artificial keys to the eggs and young as far 
as known 
The whitings or kingfishes ( Menticirrhus 
americanus, M. saxatilis and M. 
littoralis) 
Characters of the adults 
Key to the species 
Menticirrhus americanus (Linnaeus) . 
Spawning 
Descriptions of the young 
Distribution of the young 
Growth 
Menticirrhus saxatilis (Block and 
Schneider) 64 
Spawning 65 
Description of the eggs and 
young 65 
Distribution of the young 70 
Growth 70 
Menticirrhus littoralis (Holbrook) 70 
Spawning 71 
Descriptions of the young 71 
Distribution of the young 75 
Growth 75 
Star drum ( Stellifer lanceolatus (Hol- 
brook)) 75 
Spawning 76 
Descriptions of the young 76 
Distribution of the young 83 
Growth 83 
Page 
Banded drum ( Larimus fasciatus Hol- 
brook) 84 
Spawning 84 
Descriptions of the young 85 
Distribution of the young 91 
Growth 91 
The weakfishes or sea trouts ( Cynoscion 
nebulosus, C. regalis, and C.nothus)-- 91 
Key to the species 91 
Cynoscion nebulosus (Cuvier and 
Valenciennes). Spotted trout; 
speckled trout; spotted weakfish-.. 92 
Spawning 93 
Descriptions of the young 94 
Distribution of the young 101 
Growth 102 
Cynoscion regalis (Bloch and Schnei- 
der). Gray trout; gray weakfish _ 102 
Spawning 103 
Descriptions of the eggs and 
young 104 
Distribution of the young 107 
Growth 108 
Cynoscion nothus (Holbrook). Bas- 
tard trout 110 
Spawning 111 
Descriptions of the young 112 
Distribution of the young 115 
Growth 116 
Bibliography 116 
CONTENTS 
Page 
41 
42 
51 
52 
52 
53 
53 
54 
62 
62 
INTRODUCTION 
The account of the Sciaenidae that follows is based mostly on specimens collected 
on the coast of North Carolina. However, some specimens from the coast of New 
Jersey, from Chesapeake Bay, and from the coast of Texas have also been studied. 
In the preparation of the keys to the eggs and young, specimens were used as far as 
1 Bulletin no. 16. Approved for publication, Apr. 3, 1934. 
41 
