DEVELOPMENT AND LIFE HISTORY OF SOME TELEOSTS 
527 
or only slightly notched (not deeply notched as in some related species). The posterior 
teeth are composed of strong molars, which are used for crushing crustaceans and 
mollusks. The dorsal fin is long and continuous, being composed of 11 or 12 strong 
spines and 11 to 13 soft rays, and it is preceded by a short spine directed forward 
(more or less imbedded in large specimens). The caudal fin is forked; the anal con- 
sists of 3 sharp spines (the second one the largest) and 10 or 11 soft rays; and the 
pectoral fins are long, reaching to or beyond the origin of the anal. Vertebrae 9 + 15. 
SPAWNING 
No opportunity was found to examine a large number of sheepshead as to the 
development of the gonads. Of the comparatively few fish examined in the spring, 
when spawning evidentally takes place (many more specimens became available for 
dissection during the summer and fall) only one fish, taken June 16 (1926), contained 
fairly well developed roe. Therefore, little information was gained from that source. 
Neither were the eggs secured, or if so they were not recognized. 3 Therefore, the 
period of time when comparatively small young appeared in the collections must 
serve as the chief indication of the time and duration of spawning. As very small 
young, under 6 mm in length, are not represented, the spawning areas in the vicinity 
of Beaufort cannot be determined from the collections. 
According to Rathbun (1892) the sheepshead spawns along sandy shores in 
southwestern Florida. A sandy shore is not the usual habitat of the sheepshead, 
which lives principally among rocks, piers, breakwaters, wrecks, sunken logs, and 
debris, and in Florida among mangroves. Therefore, it seems to leave its customary 
habitat to carry out its reproductive activities. Efforts were made repeatedly to 
catch ripe adults and the larvae on sandy shores in the vicinity of Beaufort, but with- 
out much success. The smallest specimen taken, however, was caught in Shackleford 
Channel, just off a sandy beach. All the other smaller young, ranging from 7.5 to 
65 mm in length, were caught in “meadows” of seaweeds. Since the eggs are pelagic 
the larvae, also, no doubt, are pelagic. However, the young fish seem to abandon 
this habitat early in life, as indicated by the collections at hand. 
Rathbun (1892) stated, furthermore, that it was necessary to haul the nets after 
4 o’clock in the afternoon to catch ripe females, the best time being about sunset. 
Late evening spawning seems to be quite general among marine fishes producing 
pelagic eggs. 
The smallest young secured at Beaufort was taken on May 20 (1930), in a tow 
net hauled at the surface in Shackleford Channel. This fish apparently was still 
living in its larval habitat, though already well past the larval stage. Why only this 
single specimen was taken in the pelagic stage cannot be explained, as great effort 
was made to secure others, many hauls with tow nets having been made in the same 
general vicinity from 1927 to 1931. Apparently the fish simply were not there. 
The next smallest young, ranging from 7.5 to 18 mm in length, were caught June 21 
(1926), with a bobbinet seine hauled in eelgrass along the shores of Fivers Island. 
Small young, 11 to 21 mm in length, were taken as late as July 8 (1931). Thereafter 
they ran larger in size. However, a few specimens of 19 to 21 mm in length, and one 
25 mm long, were taken as early as June 14 (1929). The range in length of the young 
collected each month, arranged in 5-mm groups, is shown in figure 23. 
* The several years of experience gained in endeavoring to identify marine-fish eggs taken in tow taught us that the task is very 
difficult. Aside from the many that obviously were unknown, we never could be quite certain that we reeogni/ed all the species 
included among the supposedly known ones. To gain an idea of the great similarity of the eggs of some of the common marine species 
the reader is referred to earlier papers (1930 and 1934) by the writers. 
