LUX: AGE AND GROWTH OF WINTER FLOUNDER 



Table 3. — Number (n) of fish in each sample and calculated mean length in centimeters (cm) at each annulus. for 

 each year class and for all year classes combined, for male and female winter flounder collected on eastern Georges 

 Bank in 1963-66. 



Number of annuli 



Year 



cm n 



cm n 



cm /( 



cm n 



cm /; 



cm n 



cm n 



cm /; 



10 



n 



12 



cm n 



Total 



184 



Males 



6.2 2 19.2 2 33.6 2 40.8 2 44.6 2 46.6 2 47.8 2 49.0 2 50.0 1 50.4 1 50.8 — — 



11.4 8 24.4 8 38.5 8 45.1 8 49.2 8 51.2 8 52.5 7 54.0 1 54.3 1 55.1 _ 



8.6 8 23.8 8 38.1 8 43.8 8 47.4 8 49.7 8 51.0 3 54.2 2 53,4 _ 



7.5 15 22.6 15 36.4 15 42.5 15 45.8 15 47.8 5 48.4 4 50.7 — — — — — _ 



9.8 56 28.0 56 39.0 56 43.9 56 46.5 36 48.4 24 49.2 — — — — — — — — — _ 



8.2 36 25.8 36 37.6 36 43.2 18 45.8 18 47.5 — — — — — — — — — — — — 



7.8 16 23.4 16 36.1 14 42.6 14 45.8 — — — — — — — — — — — — — _ 



8.3 16 24.9 16 36.3 11 41.6 — — — — — — — — — — 



7.1 39 24.7 39 35.8 — — 



8.6 8 25.3 — 



6.9— — .— — 



8.2 204 25.5 196 37.3 150 43.3 121 46.4 87 48.4 47 49.9 16 52.6 5 52.2 2 52.7 1 50.8 — — 



Females 



6.2 2 23.9 2 40.0 2 49.2 2 54.4 2 57.6 2 59.9 2 61.6 2 62.7 2 63.6 1 66.8 1 67.4 



8.2 3 28.1 3 40.6 3 46.6 3 50.4 3 52.1 3 53.7 3 54.7 3 55.7 2 55.4 2 56.0 — — 



10.5 2 22.7 2 39.6 2 46.3 2 51.4 2 54.0 2 56.3 2 57.8 1 56.6 — — 



9.1 3 25.6 3 39.9 3 46.3 3 50.2 3 52.8 3 54.6 3 55.9 3 56.9 — — 



6.9 16 22.0 16 37.6 16 44.6 16 48.9 16 51.6 9 54.8 7 56.2 — — — — — — 



10.8 47 29.5 47 40.8 47 47.2 46 50.8 39 53.4 28 55.0 — — — — — — — — — — 



8.2 28 24.0 28 37.6 28 44.7 10 49.0 10 51.6— — 



7.2 15 23.6 15 37.8 11 44.6 9 48.6 — — 



6.4 13 19.3 13 32.2 10 40.1 — — 



7.9 46 24,7 38 36.5 — — — — — — — — — — 



8.7 5 24.9 — 



6.9— — 



8.4 180 25.1167 38.0 122 45,4 91 50,1 75 52,8 47 55,1 17 56.7 9 57,7 4 59,5 3 59.6 1 67,4 



Total 



163 



Includes males and females. 



RESULTS 



The computed lengths at each annulus for 

 male and female winter flounder from eastern 

 and western Georges Bank in 1963-66 (Tables 

 3 and 4, Figure 5) show that females grow 

 faster than males after the second year. This 

 pattern of growth is similar to that of New 

 England yellowtail flounder in which sexual 

 maturity usually occurs at age 3 (Lux and 

 Nichy, 1969). Limited evidence from the present 

 study indicates that Georges Bank winter 

 flounder also begin to attain maturity at age 3. 



The fish from western Georges Bank appeared 

 to grow a little less rapidly, at least in early 

 years, than those from the eastern part of the 

 Bank, and their growth is therefore presented 



separately (Tables 3 and 4, Figure 6). However, 

 the sample from western Georges Bank is too 

 small to precisely define growth there. Growth 

 in length for both of the grounds is rapid until 

 age 5 or 6. Then it tends to decrease sharply, 

 especially for males (Figure 6). 



Growth by year class on eastern Georges 

 Bank (Table 3) suggested that fish from the 

 1959 year class grew slightly faster than those 

 from other years. The data at hand, however, 

 are inadequate for a conclusive examination 

 of this question. 



Following the first 2 years, the growth of 

 fish on Georges Bank is faster than that of fish 

 on inshore areas (Figure 6). Although the 

 growth of this species on the inshore grounds 

 apparently varies widely from place to place 



509 



