Scale Development in the Gulf Menhaden,Brevoortia patronus

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Abstract
The size of Gulf menhaden when scales first appear, the sequence of scalation, and minimum size of fully scaled individuals were determined. Material consisted of 146 specimens 15 to 35 mm, fork length, collected along the Texas coast in April 1964 and April 1965. These fish were cleared in a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide for 1 hour, then stained with alizarin red. Fish length and scalation were as follows: 21 to 22 mm[long dash]scales only along belly; 22 to 23 mm[long dash]scales along lower lateral surfaces and in a single row on caudal peduncle; 23 to 24 mm[long dash]scales cover peduncle and area above vent and anal fin; 23 to 25 mm[long dash]scales cover most of body; 24 to 26 mm[long dash]fully scaled except for small area on back. All fish 27 mm and larger were completely scaled. Newly formed scales are elliptical, granular, translucent, and have no circuli or ctenii. Scales from the midlateral areas of 58 fish 25 to 35 mm long, magnified 40 times, gave a regression of length (L) on scale radius size (S) of L = 18.61 + 0.85 S. Because the Gulf menhaden is considered to be a winter-spawning fish and scales were found on young-of-the-year collected in April, it may be safely assumed that scales from larger and older fish carry growth histories that begin with the first spring of life. The intercept value of 18.61 mm permits accurate calculation of growth from scales.

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