FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72. NO. 2 



FALL 

 < 14 cm Total tength 



Figure 6. — Distribution and abundance of juvenile Urophycis 

 chuss during the fall. Abundance in each sampling stratum 

 is indicated on a log scale. 



Placopecten habitat (the U. chuss nursery) was 

 not sampled because no strata were shallower 

 than 30 fm; consequently estimates of juvenile 

 hake abundance were low. 



Juvenile U. chuss appear to avoid water colder 

 than 4^ (Figure 7). In winter (Figure 8), abun- 

 dance of juvenile U. chuss increased in the Gulf 

 of Maine probably because the temperature on the 

 inshore Placopecten beds had dropped below 4°C, 

 prompting the young U. chuss to migrate into 

 deeper water where they became available to our 

 sampling gear. Juvenile U. chuss were absent in 

 winter from the shoaler Georges Bank strata 

 where bottom temperatures were below 4°C. The 

 winter temperature histogram for the Gulf of 

 Maine shows juvenile U. chuss to be fairly abun- 

 dant at 3°C (Figure 7). This apparent contradic- 

 tion to the rest of the data is attributable to a 

 single large trawl catch at 3X. The winter distri- 

 bution pattern of juvenile U. chuss off southern 

 New England was similar to the fall pattern 

 (Figure 8). Abundance values were lower, prob- 

 ably because of natural mortality and growth 

 of some juveniles beyond 14 cm in length. 



During the summer, immature (15 to 28 cm) 

 U. chuss were abundant from the southern part 

 of Georges Bank throughout the southern New 

 England area at depths of 60 fm or less. Almost 

 no immature fish were taken at depths of 100 

 fm or more off southern New England (Figure 9). 

 Fish were most abundant at depths of 30 fm or 

 less between Martha's Vineyard and Long Island 

 (Stratum 5). In the Gulf of Maine, the heaviest 



»^'r I 



GULF OF MAINE 



FALL 



WINTERc^ 



J « 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 (0 II 12 U K 15 2 3 4 5 6 7 



SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 



a 



I .,., 



3 



L 



3|r-lM292^22 4 I I 



5... 



I 



4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 4 5 6 7 8 9 lO U l2 13 l4 l5 



TEMPERATURE (°C ) 



lier^s 



234567 69 10 I 



Figure 7. — Seasonal catch per tow of juvenile Urophycis 

 chuss taken off southern New England and the Gulf of Maine. 

 Abundance data are stratified by temperature intervals of one 

 degree (C). The total number of individuals captured during 

 each season = n. The number of stations occupied at each 

 temperature is indicated above each respective histogram bar. 



concentrations of fish were found in the Great 

 South Channel (Stratum 23). Moderate numbers 

 were taken in the deeper strata to the north of 

 the channel area and in shoal water on Georges 

 Bank. 



WINTER 

 < 14 cm Total length 



Figure 8. — Distribution and abundance of juvenile Urophycis 

 chuss during the winter. Abundance in each sampling stratum 

 is indicated on a log scale. 



486 



