DARK: AGE AND GROWTH OF PACIFIC HAKE 



centage of 4-yr-olds and a greater percentage of 5- 

 and 6-yr-olds in the Oregon sample than in the 

 California sample. Similarly, the Washington 

 sample contains a much smaller percentage of 4- 

 yr-olds and a greater percentage of nearly all the 

 older age groups than does the Oregon sample. It 

 cannot be clearly demonstrated whether there are 

 in fact fewer 4-yr-olds in the hake population off 

 Washington or whether additional older 

 specimens are recruited, depressing the relative 

 abundance of the 4-yr-olds. However, since 3-yr- 

 old hake are not recruited to the Washington 

 fishery and it is difficult to rationalize the sudden 

 occurrence of additional large numbers of older, 

 adult fish not found off Oregon and California, the 

 most likely event is that the 4-yr-olds are only 



partially recruited off Washington and are not as 

 numerous as they are off Oregon. 



In May, July, and October 1965 and in August 

 1966, samples were available from off the 

 Washington coast from lat. 46°00'N to 48°59'N. 

 For each year the samples were grouped by half 

 degree intervals of latitude and compared in 

 Figure 8 to determine if changes in age composi- 

 tion among smaller spatial units than used in the 

 foregoing discussion could be detected. The 1965 

 samples were collected during a period of several 

 months but, as indicated in a previous section, 

 seasonal (spring-fall) variation should not be a 

 significant factor. Although there is considerable 

 random variation in the relative abundance of an 

 age group among areas, there appear to be some 



LATITUDE 46»00;- 

 46''29' 

 50 r 



40 



30 



20- 



'^ 10 



CD 



< 



2 

 LiJ 



o 60 

 tr 



UJ 

 Q. 



50 



40 - 



30 



20 



10 



1965 



ta^ 



a 



PI- 



LL 



e 10 4 



t^--^ 



6 e 10 4 6 



Ul_ 



1966 



rm , 



1 



8 10 4 6 8 10 4 6 e 10 



AGE (years) 



Figure 8.-Age composition of Pacific hake taken at various latitudes off Washing- 

 ton in 1965-66. 



345 



