FOURTEEN TELEOSTEAN FISHES AT BEAUFORT, N. C. 483 
ent investigation about spawning in this species, has been derived from the col- 
lection and the study of the young. It has been possible, however, in this way to 
obtain fairly accurate data relative to the place, time, and duration of spawning. 
Very small young, 4 millimeters and under in length, were taken in townet 
collections from May to September and a few scattering ones, slightly larger in size, 
were taken in October, November, and as late as December 6 (1927). The fry 
were common from June to September, and the largest number was taken during 
July. The records of these collections, therefore, indicate that spawning may take 
place from May to about November, that the chief spawning season extends from 
June to September, and that it probably is at its height in July. 
The distribution of the young, as shown on p. 486, indicates that in the vicinity 
of Beaufort spawning takes place entirely at sea. This would be expected because 
extensive collecting within the harbor and adjacent inside waters has yielded very 
few large foolfish; that is, fish over 5 or 6 inches in length, among which no indi- 
viduals with developing roe have been observed. It is probable, therefore, that 
the mature fish live almost entirely at sea where they carry out the reproductive 
processes. 
The extremely small size of the most recently hatched fry taken, which are only 
about 1.7 millimeters long, suggests that the foolfish produces a very small egg. 
Since the smallest fry, that is larvae 4 millimeters and under in length, were nearly 
all taken in bottom hauls, although the larger ones were collected almost exclusively 
at the surface, suggests that the eggs may be demersal. 
DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG 
The foolfish acquires adult characters and is readily recognizable as a foolfish 
at an extremely early age. This interesting fact is shown by the descriptions and 
drawings which follow. 
Specimens 1.7 millimeters long— Two specimens of about this size are at hand, 
only one of which is in good enough condition for an accurate description and illus- 
tration. The fry at this size have a robust body and a long, slender, pointed tail. 
The head is blunt anteriorly and extends only slightly beyond the large eye. The 
mouth is small and terminal. Fin folds extend around the entire caudal portion of 
of the body and are present for the pectorals and for two ventral fins. The last- 
mentioned fins fail to develop and are represented in larger fish by a single spine, 
attached to the pelvic bones. A spine, about equal in length to the diameter of the 
eye, already is present over the head, as in the adult, and at once identifies the larva 
as a foolfish. The spine is very slender at this age and without barbs or serrations. 
Dark pigment is present on the head, extending along the upper surface to the base 
of the dorsal spine. Similar dark pigment is present on the ventral fin folds and 
extends from thence along the upper margin of the abdomen to the vent and then as 
a row of somewhat larger dots along the ventral edge to the tip of the tail. (Fig. 98.) 
The presence of the dorsal spine in combination with the deep body aid identi- 
fication at this and all other ages. 
Specimens 2 millimeters long . — The principal change in the structure, since a 
length of 1.7 millimeters was attained, is in the loss or union of the ventral fin mem- 
branes, for the two tufts of membrane present at the smaller size have disappeared 
and now a single flexible membranous fin is situated on the median line of the abdo- 
men. It is not evident from the specimens at hand whether the pair of membranous 
tufts, resembling ventral fins, present in the very young are lost, or whether they 
