| Early life history patterns of newly settled red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) from seagrass meadows in the Aransas Estuary, Texas, were examined. Red drum spawn from late-August to late-October in south Texas (hatch-date distribution: 29 August-31 October). Otolith-derived estimates of age indicated that individuals spend approximately 20 d in the pelagic environment before entering seagrass meadows. Peak densities of new settlers were present from mid-October to early-November. Densities of red drum were highly variable (range: 0.0-12.5... |
