428 
BULLETIN OP THE BUREAU OP FISHERIES 
is reached. The spot thereafter increases in depth and plumpness; and the gain in 
weight very probably is proportionately greater, even though the increase in length 
is smaller, than it was earlier in life. 
The average size of the spot at the age of about 1 year, as shown by Table 8 
and Figure 50, is 139.3 millimeters (5.6 inches) and the maximum size probably is 
about 188 millimeters (7.5 inches). Owing to the apparent departure of many of 
the larger spot of this year class from the local shallow waters, as shown by the 
decrease in the average length of specimens taken (Table 8) and pointed out else- 
where (pp. 416, 417), the rate of growth of the spot after an age of about 1 year is 
attained can not be followed now at Beaufort and must remain unknown until the 
winter home of these larger fish is found, together with means and methods of taking 
them there. The data accumulated for the I class are included in the graph (fig. 50), 
not because they show rate of growth but merely to illustrate the decrease in average 
length which presumably is due to the absence of many of the larger fish of this year 
class in the harbors, estuaries, and inshore waters of the vicinity where the collections 
were made. 
Welsh and Breder (1923, p. 179) state that growth during the winter months, 
even in southern waters, appears to be retarded or altogether lacking. The authors 
state, furthermore, that “postlarval ” examples taken in Florida between January 
and April showed no increase in length during this period. The authors do not 
state how numerous their collections were, and it is conceivable that their material 
might not have been entirely representative. The young fish assemble in schools 
(at Beaufort, at least) when a length of about 12 to 15 millimeters is attained. These 
schools appear to break up later when the fish are 25 millimeters or so in length. 
When schooled the fish may be taken in large numbers, but they might not be 
representative of the year class, because each school appears to consist of fish of 
nearly uniform size. It is necessary, therefore, to obtain samples from many different 
schools in order to secure the true range in size, as well as a true average length. 
Since we found a fairly rapid rate of growth of the fry during the winter months at 
Beaufort, we are inclined to believe that the samples secured in Florida by Welsh 
and Breder were faulty; that is, the collections did not include the true range in size 
and for that reason failed to show the rate of growth. Furthermore, Pearson (1929, 
p. 207) working in Texas found a range in length from April 17 to May 22 (1927) of 
40 to 120 millimeters and an average length of 70 to 80 millimeters which indicates 
rapid winter growth and which considerably exceeds the rate of growth at Beaufort, 
for the range in size in our collections for May is 11 to 94 millimeters and the modal 
length is about 45 millimeters. 
Welsh and Breder (loc. cit.), furthermore, state that a large series of 1-year-old 
fish taken at Fernandina, Fla., in December and March showed no increase in length 
during the period between observations. It is quite conceivable that at Fernandina, 
as at Beaufort, some of the larger fish withdraw from the shallower waters and that 
no growth was shown, because the collections were not representative of the year 
class. It may be pointed out also that very little winter growth is indicated by the 
rather meager data secured by Pearson (loc. cit.) in Texas. Possibly this, too, was 
due to the departure of the larger fish of the I class from the collecting grounds. 
The rate of growth of the spot appears to be slightly more rapid in southern 
waters than in more northern ones. Welsh and Breder (1923, p. 178) estimate that 
the spot reaches a length of only 80 to 100 millimeters (3 to 4 inches) during its first 
year in New Jersey. Hildebrand and Schroeder (1928. p. 274) assign a modal length 
