DRYFOOS, CHEEK, and KROGER: ATLANTIC MENHADEN MIGRATIONS 



ELECTRONIC 

 DETECTOR 



SECONDARY MAGNETS 



MENHADEN VESSEL 



SCRAP SHED 



FISH MEAL 



Figure 1. — Schematic diagram of a typical menhaden reduction plant showing general areas of tag recovery stations. 



hypotheses (first inferred by Roithmayr, 1963): 



1. Adult menhaden migrate northward in 

 spring and early summer and southward 

 in fall. 



2. Adult menhaden migrate farther north- 

 ward each spring as they grow larger and 

 older. 



3. Juvenile menhaden migrate southward in 

 fall. 



The Atlantic coast was divided into five tag- 

 ging areas based on activities of the commercial 

 fishery (Figure 2). Boundaries between areas 

 are drawn through waters where little fishing 

 occurs, and each area is generally limited to 

 the range of menhaden vessels fishing within 

 that area. 



New York Area: Waters along the southern 

 coast of Long Island east of a line due south of 

 Moriches Inlet (lat. 40°46'N and long. 72°44'W), 

 Long Island Sound, and waters northward. 



New Jersey Area: Waters north of a line due 



east of the Maryland-Virginia line (lat. 38°02'N 

 and long. 75°15'W) to the southern boundary of 

 area 1. 



Chesapeake Bay Area: Chesapeake Bay 

 proper and coastal waters outside the Bay lying 

 between False Cape, Va., (lat. 36°35'N and 

 long. 75°53'W) and the southern boundary of 

 area 2. Purse seine fishing is prohibited in 

 Maryland waters of Chesapeake Bay. 



North Carolina Area: Waters north of a line 

 running due east from the South Carolina- 

 Georgia line at the mouth of the Savannah 

 River (lat. 32°02'N and long. 80°53'W) to the 

 southern boundary of area 3. 



Florida Area: Waters south of the southern 

 boundary of area 4. 



Our records of the movements of tagged adult 

 menhaden support the above hypotheses. Figure 

 3 shows the generalized pattern of migration as 

 obtained from tag recoveries. 



Northward migration occurs in spring and 

 early summer. Menhaden tagged early in the 



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