158 
Fishery Bulletin 1 14(2) 
Table 1 
Results from the molecular identification of fish eggs with the use of DNA barcoding; number of identified eggs per species (AO 
and the number of stations (no. sta.) at which eggs of each species were found. Calculated abundances (number of eggs per 
10 m 2 of water) by season for each species and the identification category (cat.) of the eggs for each species are also included: 
category I eggs have never before been identified to species-level as eggs; category II eggs have been identified previously 
only at higher taxonomic levels or to species-level at specific stages of development; and category III eggs are well-described 
and can be confidently identified to species-level at all stages of development. For each species, the mean egg diameter and 
size range are listed as well, along with the mean and range of collection-day sea-surface temperatures (SSTs). 
Calculated abundances 
Species 
Family 
Common name 
N 
No. 
sta. 
Jan- 
Feb 
May- 
Jun 
Aug 
Nov- 
Dec 
Cat. 
Mean 
diameter (mm) 
Mean 
SST (°C) 
Merluccius bilinearis 
Merlucciidae 
silver hake 
196 
59 
0 
18.2 
92.3 
2.1 
Ill 
0.92 (0.73-1.06) 
15.3 (8.6-23.2) 
Hippoglossina oblonga 
Paralichthyidae 
fourspot flounder 
184 
72 
0 
11.0 
29.2 
0 
II 
0.93 (0.76-1.08) 
17 .4 (9.0-26.3) 
Citharichthys arctifrons 
Paralichthyidae 
Gulf Stream flounder 
153 
45 
0 
23.9 
89.4 
0 
II 
0.72 (0.59-0.83) 
19.2 (9.4-27.0) 
Urophycis chuss 
Phycidae 
red hake 
144 
53 
0 
4.7 
210.2 
0.3 
II 
0.73 (0.62-0.81) 
18.0 (10.9-26.3) 
Unidentified 
108 
64 
10 
5.6 
18.9 
8.5 
1.02(0.57-1.71) 
13.4 (3.1-25.9) 
Scophthalmus aquosus 
Scophthalmidae 
windowpane 
81 
29 
0 
11.3 
10.1 
0.8 
II 
1.00 (0.85-1.17) 
13.2 (6.4-17.7) 
Limanda ferruginea 
Pleuronectidae 
yellowtail flounder 
80 
22 
0 
54.7 
0.8 
0 
II 
0.80 (0.69-0.94) 
9.4 (5.4-15.9) 
Peprilus triacanthus 
Stromateidae 
butterfish 
52 
22 
0 
14.7 
10.3 
0 
II 
0.73 (0.57-0.85) 
18.6 (11.9-25.9) 
Paralichthys dentatus 
Paralichthyidae 
summer flounder 
50 
16 
0 
0.7 
0 
16.0 
III 
0.96 (0.76-1.10) 
15.0 (11.9-17.5) 
Prionotus carolinus 
Triglidae 
northern searobin 
49 
10 
0 
0 
22.7 
0.4 
II 
0.98 (0.87-1.11) 
24.1(16.1-26.8) 
Gadus morhua 
Gadidae 
Atlantic cod 
47 
15 
15.5 
0 
0 
9.1 
II 
1.34 (1.15-1.71) 
8.6 (3.1-11.0) 
Tautogolabrus adspersus 
Labridae 
cunner 
45 
17 
0 
23.3 
1.6 
0.0 
II 
0.88 (0.77-1.00) 
13.8 (9.0-20.4) 
Melanogrammus aeglefinus 
Gadidae 
haddock 
44 
10 
41.0 
1.5 
0 
0 
II 
1.46 (1.25-1.62) 
4.6 (3.1-10.2) 
Enchelyopus cimbrius 
Lotidae 
fourbeard rockling 
35 
19 
0 
14.1 
1.0 
0 
II 
0.75 (0.65-0.83) 
11.0 (7.6-15.3) 
Anchoa mitchilli 
Engraulidae 
bay anchovy 
34 
6 
0 
54.7 
0 
0 
III 
0.91 (0.78-1.05) 
18.2 (12.3-19.9) 
Pollachius virens 
Gadidae 
pollock 
34 
10 
1.2 
0 
0 
21.0 
III 
1.14 (0.93-1.29) 
9.5 (5.9-11.0) 
Etropus microstomus 
Paralichthyidae 
smallmouth flounder 
23 
9 
0 
4.5 
2.0 
0.0 
II 
0.65 (0.57-0.73) 
19.8 (16.2-26.7) 
Scomber scombrus 
Scombridae 
Atlantic mackerel 
22 
14 
0 
7.9 
0.0 
0.0 
III 
1.14 (1.06-1.22) 
11.2 (8.2-12.8) 
Merluccius albidus 
Merlucciidae 
offshore hake 
19 
9 
0.4 
2.0 
2.9 
0.6 
III 
1.13 (1.08-1.24) 
17.9 ( 11.1-25.1 ) 
Glyptocephalus cynoglossus 
Pleuronectidae 
witch flounder 
18 
12 
0 
3.2 
2.1 
0 
II 
1.14 (1.06-1.29) 
11.0 (8.2-16.7) 
Tautoga onitis 
Labridae 
tautog 
17 
7 
0 
5.5 
0.4 
0 
II 
0.99 (0.86-1.07) 
15.0 (9.4-24.8) 
Urophycis regia 
Phycidae 
spotted hake 
16 
7 
1.0 
0 
0.9 
1.8 
II 
0.74 (0.67-0.82) 
17.0 (7.3-25.1) 
Micropogonias undulatus 
Sciaenidae 
Atlantic croaker 
15 
2 
0 
0 
19.3 
0 
II 
0.72 (0.65-0.77) 
26.0 (25.9-26.0) 
Brosme brosme 
Lotidae 
cusk 
15 
7 
0 
6.4 
0.5 
0 
II 
1.25 ( 1.08-1.42) 
9.5 ( 5.4-12.9) 
Anchoa hepsetus 
Engraulidae 
striped anchovy 
15 
6 
0 
5.5 
0 
0 
III 
1.44 (1.23-1.64) 
19.5 (18.2-20.4) 
Astroscopus y-graecum 
Uranoscopidae 
southern stargazer 
13 
9 
0 
0 
2.9 
0 
II 
1.60 (1.40-1.81) 
24.1 (16.2-27.0) 
Engraulidae 
anchovy spp. 
12 
3 
0 
0 
55.2 
0 
I 
0.75 (0.68-0.84) 
25.6 (23.3-26.0) 
Prionotus evolans 
Triglidae 
striped searobin 
11 
5 
0 
2.4 
0.2 
0 
II 
1.10 (1.01-1.18) 
16.4 (12.3-25.1) 
Centropristis striata 
Serranidae 
black sea bass 
7 
5 
0 
0.5 
1.4 
0 
II 
0.86 (0.77-0.97) 
23.4 (20.1-26.8) 
Orthopristis chrysoptera 
Haemulidae 
pigfish 
7 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
II 
no data 
19.5 (19.5) 
Menticirrhus americanus 
Sciaenidae 
southern kingfish 
7 
3 
0 
0.9 
0.1 
0 
I 
0.77 (0.76-0.79) 
19.8 (18.7-24.1) 
Brevoortia tyrannus 
Clupeidae 
Atlantic menhaden 
5 
3 
0.5 
0.7 
0 
0 
III 
1.35 (1.17-1.57) 
12.3 (3.1-15.2) 
Trichiurus lepturus 
Trichiuridae 
Atlantic cutlassfish 
5 
1 
0 
0 
0.9 
0 
I 
1.63 ( 1.57-1.66 ) 
26.8 (26.8) 
Ophichthus cruentifer 
Ophichthidae 
margined snake eel 
5 
4 
0 
0 
3.3 
0 
III 
2.43 (2.29-2.52) 
22.0 (18.1-25.2) 
Sarda sarda 
Scombridae 
Atlantic bonito 
4 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
II 
1.26 (1.26) 
19.0 (19.0) 
Auxis rochei 
Scombridae 
bullet tuna 
4 
2 
0 
0 
1.2 
0 
II 
0.86 (0.79-0.89) 
25.7 (25.0-26.3) 
Hippoglossoides platessoides Pleuronectidae 
American plaice 
3 
3 
0.4 
0.7 
0 
0 
III 
2.05 (2.00-2.13) 
7.1 ( 3.1-12.9 ) 
Pomatomus saltatrix 
Pomatomidae 
bluefish 
3 
2 
0 
0 
1.6 
0 
II 
0.72 (0.72) 
21.3 (19.5-24.9) 
Symphurus diomedeanus 
Cynoglossidae 
spottedfin tonguefish 
3 
2 
0 
0 
0 
0.7 
II 
0.75 (0.71-0.78) 
15.8 (15.7-15.8) 
Cynoscion regalis 
Sciaenidae 
weakfish 
3 
1 
0 
2.6 
0 
0 
II 
0.80 (0.76-0.82) 
19.9 (19.9) 
Menticirrhus saxatilis 
Sciaenidae 
northern kingfish 
2 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
II 
no data 
19.0 (19.0) 
Engraulis eurystole 
Engraulidae 
silver anchovy 
2 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
III 
1.32 (1.32) 
19.5 (19.5) 
Lopholatilus chamealeonticeps Malacanthidae 
tilefish 
2 
1 
0 
0 
0.7 
0 
II 
1.29 (1.27-1.30) 
25.1 (25.1) 
Urophycis tenuis 
Phycidae 
white hake 
2 
1 
0 
1.1 
0 
0 
II' 
0.77 (0.76-0.78) 
22.0 (22.0) 
Symphurus plagiusa 
Cynoglossidae 
blackcheek tonguefish 
1 
1 
0 
0 
0.9 
0 
II 
0.57 (0.57) 
26.0 (26.0) 
Lepophidium profundorum 
Ophidiidae 
fawn cusk-eel 
1 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0.4 
II 
1.01 (1.01) 
13.1 (13.1) 
Caulolatilus microps 
Melacanthidae 
grey tilefish 
1 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
I 
no data 
17.6 (17.6) 
Sciaenops ocellatus 
Sciaenidae 
red drum 
1 
1 
0 
0 
0.2 
0.0 
II 
0.80 (0.80) 
26.8 (26.8) 
Archosargus probataocephalus 
Sparidae 
sheepshead 
1 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
II 
no data 
19.5 (19.5) 
Hoplunnis tenuis 
Nettastomatidae 
spotted pikeconger 
1 
1 
0.5 
0 
0 
0 
I 
2.19 (2.19) 
7.3 (7.3) 
Hemanthias aureorubens 
Serranidae 
streamer bass 
1 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0.3 
I 
0.72 (0.72) 
15.8 (15.8) 
Grand total: 
1603 
70.2 
282.3 
583.2 
61.9 
