DEVELOPMENT AND LIFE HISTORY OF SOME TELEOSTS 
543 
DISTRIBUTION OF THE YOUNG 
Too few early young were taken to cast much light on their distribution. The 
three smallest specimens at hand, having a length of 2.5, 4.25, and 9.0 mm were all 
taken at sea, the smallest one about 6 miles off Beaufort Inlet, the intermediate one 
somewhere off Southport (N. C.), and the largest a short distance west of Beaufort 
Inlet. It is not known whether the intermediate specimen was taken at the surface 
or bottom, but the other two were caught in bottom towings. The larger specimens 
were taken in inside waters in the immediate vicinity of Beaufort either with seines 
or with otter trawls. Other specimens, ranging upward of 11 mm in length, from 
the Gulf coast, principally from Louisiana and Texas, which have been studied, 
presumably were nearly all taken in shallow water with seines. 
GROWTH 
The literature contains little information on the rate of growth of the spade- 
fish, and insufficient specimens were measured during the recent investigation at 
Beaufort for definite determination. Smith (1907, p. 335) stated, “In the latter 
part of August fish about 3 inches (75 mm) long may be seined in Beaufort Harbor.” 
Hildebrand and Schroeder (1928, p. 307) reported the capture of small spadefish in 
Chesapeake Bay, which they believed were in their first summer, as follows: 1 fish, 
55 mm long in September; and 35 fish, ranging in length from 65 to 100 mm in 
October. 
Young spadefish evidently in their first summer were taken on the coast of 
North Carolina during the recent investigation as follows: 3 fish, respectively 2.5, 
4.5, and 9.0 mm long, in July; 12 fish, ranging in length from 49 to 80 mm (average 
length 56.6 mm) in August; 21 fish, ranging in length from 57 to 86 mm (average 
length 72.1 mm) in September; and 2 fish, 72 and 74 mm long in October. 
The data presented suggest that the young fish may reach a length of about 55 
to 100 mm during their first summer on the coast of North Carolina and in Chesa- 
peake Bay. As a fully mature, ripening female 135 mm (5.4 inches) long was seen, 
it seems probable that at least some of the fish reach that length during their second 
summer and that they may spawn when 2 years old. 
FAMILY GOBIIDAE. GOBIES 
Nine species of gobies with united ventral fins are recorded from the coast of 
North Carolina in this paper. These gobies are assigned to four genera, namely, 
Gobiosoma (two species), Microgobius (two species), Gobionellus (four species), 
and Gobius (one species). Three species of the genus Gobionellus appear to be new 
to the fauna of North Carolina, as stated elsewhere (p. 564). The single species of 
Gobius, namely, glaucofraenum, is known from North Carolina (Cape Lookout) from 
one specimen (Gudger, 1913, p. 165), which has not been seen by us. This species 
will receive no further mention in this paper. It appears to differ from all the other 
local species in having larger scales, about 23 transverse series on the side, and in 
the shorter second dorsal and anal fins, each fin having 10 rays. 
In the present study we did not succeed in collecting eggs of gobies in their native 
environment. However, those of Gobiosoma bosci and Gobionellus boleosoma were 
secured through artificial means. The eggs of the other species dealt with in this paper 
remain unknown. Small larvae, usually under about 8 to 10 mm in length, were 
collected principally with 1-meter tow nets. The larger young, that is, fish from 8 to 
10 mm and upward in length, were caught principally with especially adapted otter 
trawls, although some were taken with beam trawls and with bobbinet seines. 
