FOURTEEN TELEOSTEAN FISHES AT BEAUFORT, N. C. 
441 
In addition to the differences in color markings already noted, the spot and 
croaker have a somewhat deeper body at a length of 5 millimeters and a slightly 
larger eye than either species of drum. The differences are evident only when spec- 
mens of like size are compared and are not readily used in making identifications. 
It is understood, of course, that the most reliable characters for the identification 
of all of these species are the ray counts of the dorsal and anal fins as soon as these 
members are sufficiently developed to make an enumeration possible. On this basis 
the spot is readily separated from the other three species by the long anal fin which 
consists of 2 spines and 12 or 13 soft rays, whereas the croaker and red drum each 
have only 8 and the black drum only 6 or 7 soft rays in addition to 2 spines. The 
croaker, red drum, and black drum all differ in the number of dorsal rays, having 
respectively in the order named I, 28 or 29; I, 23 to 25; and I, 20 to 22 rays. 
The only other member of the family Sciamidae from the vicinity of Beaufort 
of which the larval development has been studied is the white perch ( Bairdiella 
chrysura). The larvae of this species are readily recognized at a very small size (2.5 
to 3 millimeters) by the prominent black coloration over the abdominal mass which 
quickly develops into a broad, indefinite crossbar. 
DISTRIBUTION OF YOUNG 
Recently hatched croakers are quite generally distributed throughout the local 
waters during the winter, or spawning season. They have appeared in towings 
made as far as about 15 miles offshore (beyond which collecting was not extended) 
as well as within Beaufort Harbor and adjacent estuaries. The very small fry, 
only a few to several millimeters long, appear to be more numerous at offshore col- 
lecting stations than within the harbor, but for somewhat larger fish (10 millimeters 
and over) the reverse seems to be true. 
The fry, like the adults, as shown by townet collections, dwell principally on 
the bottom. In towings made with two 1-meter nets hauled simultaneously at the 
surface and on the bottom, the fry occurred in 23 surface and in 119 bottom 
collections. 
GROWTH 
In the present studies an effort was made to obtain information relative to the 
development and rate of growth of the croaker during the first year. However, 
older fish often were obtained in the collections, and such fish were measured and 
the data are included in frequencies in Table 9. Table 10 and Figure 59 include 
only the measurements of the fish assigned to the O class. Due to the very long 
spawning period, it is not surprising that the year classes intergrade. Our collec- 
tions for some of the months are not nearly as complete as desirable, and therefore 
the measurements are sufficient to show only in a general way the rate of growth 
of the young until some of them, at least, have attained an age of 12 to 14 months. 
