Growth, movements and diet of the terapontid Amniataba caudavittata in an Australian estuary

Samples of Amniataba caudavittata were collected from the Swan Estuary in south-western Australia between February 1977 and December 1980, using seine nets in inshore shallow waters and gillnets and otter trawls in offshore waters. Although fish could only be aged using otoliths until they were 18–22 months old, they had by that time reached c . 75% of their final length. The mean lengths of the cohorts determined by using MIX, which analysed each of the monthly length-frequency distributions independently, were similar to those yielded by MULTIFAN, which constrains the means of each of the sequential and corresponding cohorts to a von Bertalanffy growth curve. Consequently, the von Bertalanffy growth curve parameters determined by MULTIFAN and those derived from the use of the means produced by MIX were similar. The clear cut trends exhibited by the progression of modal lengths in successive samples, and their close correspondence to the trends shown by the growth curves, demonstrate that many A. caudavittata live for at least 3 years. Growth was seasonal and confined to the warmer months of the year. The apparent negative growth recorded in winter can be attributed to a tendency for the smaller representatives of the different cohorts to remain inshore at that time and thus to be more susceptible to capture by seine netting, the main sampling method. Offshore movements by larger fish in the winter allow those fish to remain in the high salinities found beneath the pronounced haioclines that form in the deeper waters of this estuary during the heavy freshwater discharge that occurs typically at that time of the year. Adult A. caudavittata move into the upper estuary where spawning occurs, with considerable numbers of the resultant juveniles then moving downstream into the middle estuary. A, caudavittata is a benthic omnivore, with the 0+ age class ingesting algae and a range of small crustaceans, while older fish prey to a greater extent on polychaetes.     

南渡江上游海南半鲿生物学参数估算

为研究海南半鲿(Hemibagrus hainanensis Tchang 1935)种群生物学及资源动态特征, 2019年1—12月于南渡江上游采集358尾海南半鲿,其体长范围为42—289 mm,体质量范围为1.14—282.79 g。利用FiSATⅡ软件中ELEFAN I法估算南渡江上游海南半鲿种群参数,其资源变动趋势则通过Beverton-Holt动态综合模型进行评估。结果显示:von Bertalanffy生长方程所描述的各参数值分别为L∞=304.5 mm、K=0.49、t0=–0.29,体质量的生长拐点为t=1.95,即TL=202.9 mm。利用Pauly经验公式和长度变换渔获曲线法分别估算出:自然死亡系数(M)为1.05,总死亡系数(Z)为1.22,捕捞死亡系数(F)为0.17及资源开发率(E)为0.14,表明其资源未处在过度捕捞状态。研究结果填补了南渡江上游海南半鲿的种群生长特性及动态特征基础资料的空白,为其种群资源恢复和保护策略的制定提供理论依据。     

Age and growth of the porthole shovelnose catfish (Hemisorubim platyrhynchos) in the Pantanal.

The porthole shovelnose catfish, Hemisorubim platyrhynchos, is the sixth largest pimelodidae of the Pantanal. Its age and growth were studied using pectoral fin-spines from fish collected in the Cuiabá river basin, Pantanal. The fish, which came from commercial and experimental fisheries, were all caught with hook and line. Growth-ring formation time could not be defined through the Kruskal-Wallis test on marginal increment (H = 4.142; p = 0.247). Nevertheless, decrease in the marginal increment index occurring as waters recede suggests this as the probable time when growth rings form. Estimation of the parameters of von Bertalanffy growth curve, adjusted through nonlinear regression to observed fork lengths, with L(infinity) fixed at 64 cm, were: k = 0.222 year(-1); t(o) = -2.149 years. Individual life span was estimated at 11.4 years. The results suggest that fork length is a good predictor of age for individuals of this species.     

Some aspects of the biology of the red bass, Lutjanus bohar (Forsskal), from the Tigak Islands, Papua New Guinea

The growth rate, food, reproduction and mortality rates of the red bass, Lutjanus bohar , are described for fish associated with coral reefs in the Tigak Islands of Papua New Guinea. Spawning intensity by month was investigated by examination of gonad maturation stages. The length–at–maturity of female L. bohar was estimated from the relationship between changes in gonad index with increasing size. Female fish matured at about 45–0 cm fork length. The Petersen method was used to obtain age–at–length data from length frequency data of L. bohar captured by hook–and–line fishing. The growth of L. bohar was described by a von Bertalanffy growth curve with the parameters AT=0.27 and L_∞ = 81.7 cm. There was a positive correlation between water depth (D) and the length of L. bohar (L) that was described by L = 318–8+ 3.050 D . The mortality rates ( Z ) of L. bohar from shallow (≤30m) and deep (≤80m) water were estimated from length converted catch curves and were 1–181 and 0–64 respectively. The high Z value for the shallow water population of L. bohar was ascribed to the migration of larger specimens into deeper water. The deep water population of L. bohar remains unfished and the estimate of Z was believed to be equivalent to the natural mortality rate ( M ). An empirical method of calculating M gave an estimate of 0.59. Lutjanus bohar is a carnivorous piscivore that feeds throughout the water column.     

Biology of the silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis (Carcharhinidae) in the eastern Indian Ocean, including an approach to estimating age when timing of parturition is not well defined

Biological data were recorded for 1265 silky sharks Carcharhinus falciformis collected from fish landing sites in eastern Indonesia. These represented catches taken in most calendar months by gillnetting and longlining in the eastern Indian Ocean and contained individuals ranging from embryos to fully mature adults. The growth zones in centra, which were shown to form annually, were counted in the vertebrae in a sub-sample of 200 fish for ageing purposes. The embryo lengths in the 5 months for which there were such data, and the presence of neonates in virtually all months, however, indicated that birth occurs throughout the year and thus there was no well-defined birth date for ageing individual fish. The approximate birth date of each individual was thus estimated from a combination of the total length (L(T) ) at capture and backcalculated L(T) at the formation of the birth zone and at the first and last growth zones in the vertebral centra, together with the period that had elapsed between the formation of those last two growth zones. The number of eggs or embryos in uteri ranged from two to 14, with a mean of 7·2. The estimated mean L(T) at birth of females (811 mm, range: 799-823 mm) and males (812 mm, range: 794-830 mm), derived from the backcalculations corresponding to the birth zones in the centra, were not significantly different (P > 0·05). The L(T) ranges in the catches of post-natal females (570-2592 mm) and males (553-2289 mm) taken by gillnetting were wider than those of the females (1177-2623 mm) and males (1184-2409 mm) taken by longlining. The oldest female and male were 19 and 20 years-old, respectively. The von Bertalanffy growth curves for the two sexes did not differ significantly. The growth coefficient, k, and the asymptotic length, L(T∞). were 0·066 year?1 and 2994 mm for the curve fitted to the combined data for females and males. The lengths L(T50) and ages A(50) at which C. falciformis attained maturity were 2156 mm and 15 years for females and 2076 mm and 13 years for males. The very high proportion of C. falciformis with lengths 相似文献   

Age, growth, mortality and population characteristics of the pearl perch, Glaucosoma buergeri Richardson 1845, from deeper continental shelf waters off the Pilbara coast of north-western Australia

Pearl perch, Glaucosoma buergeri Richardson 1845, from deeper waters (> 100 m depth) on the continental shelf of north-western Australia were aged by examining transverse sections of their sagittal otoliths. Ages were assigned based on counts of alternating opaque and translucent zones (annuli). Otolith length and breadth (width) increased linearly with fish length, whereas otolith weight increased linearly with fish age. The continuous growth of the otoliths provides some evidence that the opaque and translucent zones used to estimate age in this study are formed on a regular basis. Parameters of the length–weight relationship were estimated, along with parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth function. The generalised von Bertalanffy growth function (total length-at-age, both sexes combined) for G. buergeri was L _t=512.7 (1 – e^{–0.139( t  + 0.89)}). There was no significant differential growth between the sexes in observed length-at-age. The oldest individual found was a male G. buergeri estimated to be 26 years of age. The annual instantaneous rate of natural mortality ( M ) was estimated to be 0.14. The slow growth, long life and low natural mortality rate indicate that G. buergeri is vulnerable to overfishing and that harvest strategies for this species should be conservative, given its low production potential.     

Importance of the large copepod Paraeuchaeta antarctica (Giesbrecht, 1902) in coastal waters and the diet of seabirds at Kerguelen, Southern Ocean

The importance of the euchaetid copepod Paraeuchaeta antarcticain the subantarctic pelagic ecosystem was quantified in thecoastal waters of the Golfe du Morbihan at Kerguelen Islandsby comparing food samples from two diving seabirds with concurrentnet samples taken within the predator foraging area. Paraeuchaetaantarctica occurred in very high densities (up to 30 individualsm^-3 and 96 mg dry weight m^-3) in the water column, being moreabundant in the deepest part of the gulf than in shallow watersor at the more offshore shelf stations. The common diving petrelfeeds almost exclusively on crustaceans, its diet being dominatedby the amphipod Themisto gaudichaudii (52% by number and 84%by reconstituted mass) and P. antarctica (33% and 16%, respectively).Rockhopper penguins preyed upon crustaceans and fish, with fourtaxa being important, namely T. gaudichaudii (37% and 23%, respectively),Euphausia vallentini (24% and 41%), postlarval fish (10% and24%), and P. antarctica (13% and 3%). Paraeuchaeta antarcticadominated numerically in 21% of the diving-petrel food samplesand in 12% of penguin samples. The two bird species segregatedby preying upon different developmental stages of P. antarctica,diving petrels fed equally on CV of both sexes and CVI, whilepenguins fed on CVI only. Comparison of P. antarctica foundin net and food samples indicated no prey selection by commondiving petrels that caught the different copepod stages in proportionto their availability in the water column. On the other hand,the diving performance of penguins, which is better than thatof the petrels (mean maximum dive depths 69 m for penguins versus32 m in petrels), allows them to catch CVI in deeper waters,probably near the bottom. Our study shows that P. antarcticais a major component of the coastal macrozooplankton communityand a significant prey for two species of diving seabirds inhabitingKerguelen. This is also the first record of a copepod speciesas a prey for penguin, and the first to highlight P. antarcticain the food of austral seabirds.     

Age and growth of albacore Thunnus alalunga in the North Pacific Ocean

The age and growth of North Pacific albacore Thunnus alalunga were investigated using obliquely sectioned sagittal otoliths from samples of 126 females and 148 males. Otolith edge analysis indicated that the identified annulus in a sagittal otolith is primarily formed during the period from September to February. The assessments of the fish age at first annulus formation indicated that the first annulus represents an age of <1 year. This study presents an age estimate (0·75 years) for the formation of the first annulus. The oldest fish ages observed in this study were 10 years for females and 14 years for males. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters of females estimated were L(∞) = 103·5 cm in fork length (L(F) ), K = 0·340 year(-1) and t(0) = -0·53 years, and the parameters of males were L(∞) = 114·0 cm, K = 0·253 year(-1) and t(0) = -1·01 years. Sexual size dimorphism between males and females seemed to occur after reaching sexual maturity. The coefficients of the power function for expressing the L(F) -mass relationship obtained from sex-pooled data were a = 2·964 × 10(-5) and b = 2·928.     

Vertical movement and behavior of the ocean sunfish, Mola mola, in the northwest Atlantic

Pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) were attached to 31 ocean sunfish, Mola mola. in the Northwest Atlantic between 2005 and 2008, in order to examine their vertical movement and behavior. Tags remained attached from 7 to 242 days, with a mean attachment period of 107.2 ± 80.6 (SD) days. Fish spent greater than 30% of their time in the top 10 m of the water column, and over 80% of time in the top 200 m. The maximum depth recorded by any fish was 844 m. Temperatures experienced by tagged fish ranged from 6 to 30 °C. Vertical behavior of M. mola changed over short-term and seasonal scales. Ocean sunfish in northeastern US waters in the summer months inhabited shallower depths and spent more time at the surface than those that moved south in the winter and spring. This shift from shallow to deeper depths was especially apparent when fish entered the Gulf Stream, where they spent little time at the surface and dove to depths of 400-800 m. A diel pattern was observed in vertical behavior. Tagged fish spent more time at depth during the day and inhabited shallower waters at night. There was no observed relationship between the amount of time per day that fish spent in cold water (< 10 °C) and the amount of time fish spent near the surface (0-6 m), indicating a lack of evidence for M. mola basking at the surface as a mechanism for behavioral thermoregulation.     

Rhythmic structural and chemical patterns in otoliths of the Antarctic fish Notothenia larseni: Their application to age determination

Summary Sagittal otoliths from Notothenia larseni contain microincremental growth rings which are distinctly visible in otolith sections using Scanning Electron Microscopy. These microincrements are similar to those deposited daily in the otoliths of fishes from temperate and tropical waters. Microincrements were easily enumerated and fish length was related to increment number by a logarithmic curve. Otolith microstructure analysis appears to provide a technique to accurately determine age and growth rates in these fish. Sr/Ca ratios in otolith aragonite were analyzed along a radius from the outside edge to the core of an otolith section using an electron microprobe. The strontium/calcium (Sr/Ca) ratios varied with a cyclic periodicity apparently related to seasonal water temperature cycles and the number of cycles agreed closely with age estimated from daily microincrement counts. Sr/ca cycles can potentially be used to determine age, validate growth rates determined by other methods, and establish thermal conditions experienced during the life of a fish. Microstructural and chemical analyses of otoliths demonstrate great potential in helping to answer many questions about the growth processes and ecology of Antarctic fishes.     

Growth parameters estimates for a small fish of the Pantanal, Brazil: Moenkhausia dichroura (Characiformes; Characidae).

Growth parameters were estimated for Moenkhausia dichroura (Kner, 1858) (Characiformes, Characidae), a small-sized and very abundant fish of the Pantanal lentic habitats commonly known as "pequira ". A method based on the length frequencies distribution and the ELEFAN I routine from the FISAT program were used. The fish were collected in the Baia da On?a, an oxbowlake of the sub-region Pantanal of Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, from June to December 1988. The standard length of the captured fishes ranged from 29 to 76 mm with an average of 53 mm. The estimated growth parameters were L(infinity) = 81 mm (standard length), k = 0.85 year(-1), C = 0.89, WP = 0.6 (Rn = 0.285). The WP indicated that growth reduction occurred in July, when the lowest temperature of the year was registered. The growth curve showed that captured individuals belonged to three cohorts. The obtained results seem robust and quite compatible with the biology of the fish and its adjustment to the environment. M. dichroura, in spite of not being a direct fishing interest, is an important species in terms of its ecological aspects, due to its abundance and high growth rate, and as a great food source for aquatic organisms and specially for larger fish of economic value. Considering the information gap about small fish, the parameters estimated for pequira constitute a comparison base for other growth studies of small-sized fish species of tropical environments.     

Abundance,structure, growth and origin of inshore clupeid populations of the west coast of Scotland

The abundance, structure, growth, and origin of clupeid populations in inshore waters of the west coast of Scotland were studied from April 1970 to October 1972. Clupeid populations in the area comprise mainly young fish. 0-group autumn-spawned herring, probably of Minch origin, move into the area about April and spring-spawned ones (Clyde origin) about June. The timing and the body length at which each group arrives in the area during the different years is the same. After the initial immigration, the distribution of both 0-group clupeids becomes localized.Herring populations in the sea-lochs and associated inshore waters are mainly 0-group fish, which are replaced each year by a new incoming brood. The sprat populations of the sea-lochs are dominated by the 0-group; in the more ‘open’ areas the populations comprise older individuals. Year-class distribution in the ‘open’ areas resemble that of the commercial fishery.The rate of increase of 0-group autumn-spawned herring is 3.68 mm/week and that of spring-spawned 0-group herring is 2.83 mm/week. The curves of growth of 0-group sprats of the 1970 and 1971 year-classes are different; the rate of increase in length, however, averages 3.55 mm/week for both year-classes and the differences are not significant.In sprats, after their first year of life a rapid increase in length takes place in the spring. This increase is thought to enable the majority of the population to reach the minimum size (88–90 mm) for initial gonadal maturation and thereby make them capable of reproducing in their second year of life.     

The influence of fish size size on the avoidance of hypoxia and oxygen selection by largemouth bass

When an oxygen gradient ranging from c . 10 to 95% air saturation was formed in a 5 m chamber, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides avoided water in which dissolved oxygen values were <27% air saturation. There was a significant ( P <0·05) correlation between fish mass and the level of dissolved aquatic oxygen that was selected. Small fish (23–500 g) utilized waters of lower oxygen levels than did the larger fish (1000–3000 g). The results of this study suggest that largemouth bass are able to sense and avoid hypoxic water, and select aquatic oxygen tensions that maintain their metabolic scope for growth and activity.     

Lake sturgeon population attributes and reproductive structure in the Namakan Reservoir,Minnesota and Ontario

Quantified were the age, growth, mortality and reproductive structure of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) collected in the US and Canadian waters of the Namakan Reservoir. The hypotheses were tested that (i) age and growth of lake sturgeon in the Namakan Reservoir would differ by sex and reproductive stage of maturity, and (ii) that the relative strength of year‐classes of lake sturgeon in the reservoir would be affected by environmental variables. To quantify age, growth and mortality of the population, existing data was used from a multi‐agency database containing information on all lake sturgeon sampled in the reservoir from 2004 to 2009. Lake sturgeon were sampled in the Minnesota and Ontario waters of the Namakan Reservoir using multi‐filament gillnets 1.8 m high and 30–100 m long and varying in mesh size from 178 to 356 mm stretch. Reproductive structure of the lake sturgeon was assessed only during spring 2008 and 2009 using plasma testosterone and estradiol‐17β concentrations. Ages of lake sturgeon >75 cm ranged from 9 to 86 years (n = 533, mean = 36 years). A catch‐curve analysis using the 1981–1953 year classes estimated total annual mortality of adults to be 4.8% and annual survival as 95.2%. Using logistic regression analysis, it was found that total annual precipitation was positively associated with lake sturgeon year‐class strength in the Namakan Reservoir. A 10 cm increase in total annual precipitation was associated with at least a 39% increase in the odds of occurrence of a strong year class of lake sturgeon in the reservoir. Plasma steroid analysis revealed a sex ratio of 2.4 females: 1 male and, on average, 10% of female and 30% of male lake sturgeon were reproductively mature each year (i.e. potential spawners). Moreover, there was evidence based on re‐captured male fish of both periodic and annual spawning, as well as the ability of males to rapidly undergo gonadal maturation prior to spawning. Knowledge of lake sturgeon reproductive structure and factors influencing recruitment success contribute to the widespread conservation efforts for this threatened species.     

The distribution and growth of coarse fish in gravel-pit lakes in south-east England

SUMMARY. Age and growth rates of the coarse fish of thirty-nine gravel-pit lakes in south-east England are compared. Species composition was very variable, the commonest species being roach ( Rutilus rutilus ), bream ( Abramis brama ), tench ( Tinca tinca ), perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) and pike ( Esox lucius ). Two main kinds of fish community were identifiable from the survey: (1) those consisting of a mixture of cyprinids, usually roach and bream; and (2) those in which cyprinids were rare or absent and the fish community was composed of perch and pike. The majority of the lakes fell into the first category. Comparison of growth curves derived by back-calculation showed that, in all species, variation occurred from lake to lake and from year to year. The majority of gravel-pit lake fishes had 'medium' growth rates when compared with published data by other workers on different waters. Seasonal growth of roach infected with plerocercoids of Ligula intestinalis was observed at monthly intervals. Annulus formation on the scales of these fish occurred at the onset of growth in May. The heavy Ligula burden in 89% of these fish had not caused the formation of any additional or false rings.     

Evaluation of low impact pressure waves as a quantitative sampling method for small fish in shallow water

Low impact pressure waves (LIMP) generated by small (< 1 g) underwater ignition capsules have been used to qualitatively and semi-quantitatively, as catch per unit effort, sample young-of-the-year (YOY) and juvenile fish in shallow (0-3 m) waters. In order to evaluate this method on small fish, four categories, 0+ and 1+ year Eurasian perch, 1+ year roach and 0+ to 1+ year pike, were subjected to the LIMP at distances of 0.5-5 m from the detonation point. At a distance < 1 m all specimens were stunned and either floated to the surface or sank to the bottom, whereas almost all were unaffected at distances > 3 m. The efficiency radius of the LIMP varied between 1.5 and 3.0 m, and the effective area was 7-28 m² depending on habitat and species. The average effective area for the two extensively studied categories (0+ perch and 1+ roach) was 17.9 m². Both depth and vegetation affected the effective area. The smallest area was obtained at < 1 m depth with vegetation present, and the largest at 1-2 m depths with no vegetation present. Within each fish category, the method sampled fish independently of length suggesting that a size/year-class is sampled equally. The proportion of affected fish that sank was large and species-dependent. In addition to the netting of surfaced fish, collecting fish from the bottom is recommended for achieving an accurate quantitative estimate. The tested parameters of the LIMP, P_max and Impulse, declined as a function of distance following a negative exponential growth model with a baseline. The similar-shaped responses among the fish categories suggest that the method works at depths < 3 m also in heterogeneous environments, and that the method can be used to quantitatively estimate abundance of small fish with swim bladders. A model for quantitative abundance estimates based on the evaluation is presented.     

Age and growth parameters of Siganus sutor in Kenyan marine inshore water, derived from numbers of otolith microbands and fish lengths

Siganus sutor (Valenciennes, 1835) is, together with the Lethrinidae, commercially the most important fish of Kenyan waters. Age and growth parameters of this fish have been estimated for stock assessment purposes, using the von Bertalanffy growth model while taking into account the initial small but finite length of fish, L _o. Microbands on the otoliths were used as a measure of age in days. Data of fish length against numbers of microbands were fitted to the growth formula by a least squares procedure applied to a non-linear fit. This gave an L _∞ of 36.2 cm s.l. and a K of 0.87 on an annual basis. Independently, a curve was fitted by eye to the same data, and values were read off the curve and used in a standard Ford–Walford plot. This gave an L_x of 35 cm and a K of 0.9. The close agreement of the values obtained by the two methods, and of these with values in the literature, demonstrates the value of using microbands for determining growth parameters in a tropical fish.     

Connectivity of a large embayment and coastal fishery: spawning aggregations in one bay source local and broad-scale fishery replenishment

Ichthyoplankton sampling and otolith chemistry were used to determine the importance of transient spawning aggregations of snapper Chrysophrys auratus (Sparidae) in a large embayment, Port Phillip Bay (PPB), Australia, as a source of local and broad-scale fishery replenishment. Ichthyoplankton sampling across five spawning seasons within PPB, across the narrow entrance to the bay and in adjacent coastal waters, indicated that although spawning may occur in coastal waters, the spawning aggregations within the bay were the primary source of larval recruitment to the bay. Otolith chemical signatures previously characterized for 0+ year C. auratus of two cohorts (2000 and 2001) were used as the baseline signatures to quantify the contribution that fish derived from reproduction in PPB make to fishery replenishment. Sampling of these cohorts over a 5 year period at various widely dispersed fishery regions, combined with maximum likelihood analyses of the chemistry of the 0+ year otolith portions of these older fish, indicated that C. auratus of 1 to 3+ years of age displayed both local residency and broad-scale emigration from PPB to populate coastal waters and an adjacent bay (Western Port). While the PPB fishery was consistently dominated (>70%) by locally derived fish irrespective of cohort or age, the contribution of fish that had originated from PPB to distant populations increased with age. At 4 to 5+ years of age, when C. auratus mature and fully recruit to the fishery, populations of both cohorts across the entire central and western Victorian fishery, including two major embayments and c. 800 km of coastal waters, were dominated (>70%) by fish that had originated from the spawning aggregations and nursery habitat within PPB. Dependence of this broadly dispersed fishery on replenishment from heavily targeted spawning aggregations within one embayment has significant implications for management and monitoring programmes.     

Age and growth of a sub-Antarctic notothenioid, Patagonotothen ramsayi (Regan 1913), from the Falkland Islands

The Falklands’ rockcod Patagonotothen ramsayi was aged successfully using whole and sectioned otoliths. Marginal increment analysis showed that one opaque and one translucent zone were laid down each year. Counting daily rings in juvenile fish and back calculating to their assumed hatch dates validated the first annulus. Readings taken from scales and otoliths showed good agreement with no significant difference between them (P>0.05). Inter- and intra-reader comparisons also showed good agreement. The maximum estimated age was found to be 14 years and the calculated von Bertalanffy growth curve L _T =33.77(1−e ^{−0.25year(t+1.07)}) showed that P. ramsayi is a relatively slow growing fish that attains 5–6 cm L _T in its first year and after which grows approximately 3 cm per year until 4 years. Males seemed to have a slightly lower growth rate but attained a greater maximum size than females. The formation of annuli in the otoliths of P. ramsayi seems to coincide with periods of high reproductive activity with both peaks in GSI and the prevalence of translucent margins occurring in July.     

Spring cannibalism on 1 year walleye pollock in the Doto area,northern Japan: is it density dependent?

Cannibalism in walleye pollock off the eastern coast of the Hokkaido Island, Japan was important only during spring (April to June), and its importance increased from 0% in dry mass for <200 mm L _S fish to 48·9% for >400 mm L _S fish. Most of the prey was represented by age 1 year fish, showing a unimodal body size distribution with a mode at 121–130 mm. Although cannibal body size was larger in deeper (>150 m) water, there was no difference in prey size by depth, suggesting impingement of the predators inhabiting deeper water into the shallow areas to cannibalize 1 year fish. The minimum ratio cannibal: prey size was 1·74. There was a positive but non-significant correlation between the contribution of cannibalism to a potential predator's (>300 mm) diet and an estimate of the previous year's recruitment. This was due to an extremely high contribution of cannibalism during 1992, when a distinctly larger size of predators seemed to bias the contribution. When the 1992 data were removed from the analysis, a significant correlation was obtained ( r ²=0·77, P <0·01), showing that Pollock cannibalism is rather density dependent. Based on the results, it is hypothesized that the'overflow' of 1 year fish from the shelf waters due to their high abundance and the weak stratification in the spring water column results in increased co-occurrence with adult fish and consequent cannibalism.