FOURTEEN TELEOSTEAN FISHES AT BEAUFORT, N. C. 
409 
ever, a limited number was taken and measured. An analysis of these data shows 
nothing distinctive concerning the older year classes and their rate of growth. (See 
Table 3.) It is evident, therefore, that large series of measurements would be re- 
quired, if indeed it is at all possible, to separate the older fish into year classes on 
the basis of length measurements. 
Very recently hatched pigfish — 2.0 to 2.5 millimeters long — appeared in the tow 
as early as the middle of March (in 1927 and not until April in 1926, 1928, and 1929); 
and fry of this size were taken throughout April, May, and June. (See Table 4 and 
fig. 39.) Pigfish, as shown elsewhere (p. 402), are only about 1.5 millimeters long at the 
time of hatching, but they attain a length of 2.0 to 2.5 millimeters within a few days. 
Therefore, it is evident from the catches of these small fry, entirely aside from the fact 
that the eggs, too, were taken over most of this period, that spawning may occur from 
about the middle of March to the end of June. However, the young were taken in 
March only one year (1927) out of four (1926-1929), and they did not appear to be 
particularly numerous until May during any one year, and the very small fry again 
were fewer, according to townet catches, toward the end of June. It may be con- 
cluded, therefore, as already shown in another section of this paper (p. 398) in regard 
to the collection of eggs, that while spawning may occur as early as the middle of 
March, and ends near the last of June, it takes place principally during May. 
The young at first, as is usual among fishes, do not grow as rapidly as they do 
a month or two later. This fact is brought out clearly by the growth curve. (Fig. 
39.) The largest young taken in May, for example, when they may have been 
slightly over 2 months old, were 28 millimeters long. A month later the largest 
young of the season were 84 millimeters in length, or nearly three times as long as a 
month earlier. This rapid rate of increase in length of the largest young of the 
season continues through July and August, and thereafter it appears to be much 
slower. The reduced rate of increase in length in the largest fish of the season is 
reflected in the curve based on the average lengths of all fish measured, although at 
this time (September) the smaller fish of the season apparently were growing rapidly. 
(See Fig. 39.) 
Table 3. — Length frequencies of 9,512 pigfish 
[Measurements to nearest millimeter, grouped in 5-millimeter intervals] 
Total length 
March 
April 
May 
June 
July 
August 
| September 
| October 
November 
Total length 
March 
April 
May 
June 
July 
August 
September 
October 
November 
0-4 
9 
93 
1,033 
91 
135-139 
1 
8 
11 
13 
18 
5-9 
6 
411 
'252 
40 
140-144 
1 
8 
3 
14 
10-14 
70 
365 
524 
13 
145-149 
1 
8 
1 
2 
10 
15-19 
15 
704 
63 
150-154 
8 
8 
1 
2 
7 
20-24 
541 
109 
155-159 
4 
11 
2 
1 
25-29.. 
2 
121 
100 
2 
160-164 
2 
10 
1 
1 
3 
30-34- 
49 
95 
2 
165-169 
11 
3 
7 
35-39 
10 
109 
7 
170-174 
1 
2 
12 
3 
5 
1 
40-44 _ 
15 
88 
9 
175-179 - 
1 
9 
2 
1 
g 
45-49 
7 
74 
17 
180-184 
1 
1 
10 
2 
50-54 _ . 
20 
80 
27 
185-189 
2 
3 
4 
55-59 __ 
16 
76 
59 
190-194 
4 
4 
2 
4 
60-64 .. 
25 
113 
77 
2 
195-199 
2 
1 
3 
3 
2 
2 
65-69 _ 
5 
88 
91 
6 
200-204 
11 
5 
2 
3 
70-74 _ 
3 
123 
113 
10 
205-209 
8 
3 
4 
3 
75-79 
8 
91 
120 
14 
210-214 
9 
6 
3 
2 
80-84 
2 
86 
164 
27 
3 
215-219 
1 
5 
85-89.-- 
89 
154 
26 
5 
3 
220-224 
7 
3 
1 
2 
90-94 
2 
78 
200 
31 
12 
23 
225-229 
5 
5 
1 
95-99 
72 
182 
30 
23 
56 
230-234 
3 
4 
i 
100-104 
41 
168 
45 
37 
9S 
235-239 
1 
1 
1 
105-109.-- 
1 
15 
91 
33 
27 
117 
240-244 
2 
110-114 
1 
6 
48 
47 
46 
108 
245-249 
1 
1 
115-119 
2 
19 
33 
37 
87 
250-254.. 
2 
120-124 
5 
28 
22 
45 
42 
255-259.. 
125-129 
i 
2 
14 
29 
22 
14 
260-264.. 
1 
9 
130-134 
i 
4 
16 
24 
22 
10 
