424 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
COMPARISON OF YOUNG SPOTS AND CROAKERS 
Young spots and croakers are very similar and until a length of about 10.0 
millimeters is reached are difficult to distinguish. A comparison of the larvae of the 
two species, therefore, has been prepared and is presented under the discussion of the 
croaker (p. 439). The differences between the very young of the spot and croaker 
unfortunately are largely of degree only; that is, one has a slightly larger eye and a 
deeper tail than the other, etc., and are difficult to apply unless specimens of like sizes 
of both species are available for comparison. 
DISTRIBUTION OF YOUNG 
The fry occur in about equal abundance in towings made in Beaufort Harbor and 
in those made off Beaufort Inlet, some of the stations being as much as 12 to 15 miles 
offshore. The fry were taken in the bottom tow 103 times and in the surface tow 50 
times, indicating that the larvse may be present at any depth but that they occur more 
frequently at the bottom than at the surface. 
From February to April schools of young fish often are seen along the shores of 
Pivers Island, the favorite places being protected coves around stone breakwaters 
and jetties. Somewhat later, fish an inch and above in length become numerous in 
shallow water in places where an abundance of vegetation is present. In such places 
young fish may be taken with dragnets throughout the summer and far into the winter. 
In other words, young spots remain in this environment until at least a year old. 
Young spots also ascend brackish water ditches to fresh water during the spring and 
early summer. Fish found in such an environment generally are larger than those 
found among vegetation in saltier water. Fish taken in the deeper channels in Beau- 
fort Harbor during the winter months, too, are larger than those commonly found in 
the shallow, “grassy” waters. Spots ranging from about 3 to 6 inches in length, 
presumably mostly still in their first year, are abundant off Beaufort Inlet during the 
fall and early winter, and many are taken in shrimp trawls. 
GROWTH 
In the present studies a special effort was made to acquire information relative 
to the growth of the spot during its first year. In the course of the work considerable 
information was gained, however, in regard to its growth during the first six months 
