FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72. NO. 1 



directly determined from my samples since all 

 but the very large fish were sexually inactive or 

 immature upon collection. However, egg 

 measurements obtained for ten 300-330 mm 

 females collected off Washington in 1971 

 showed there were three distinct size groujis of 

 eggs: 0.1 — 0.4 mm, 0.8 — 1.5 mm, and the 

 mature mode of 1.7 — 2.0 mm. Eleven smaller 

 specimens collected off California by Mac- 

 Gregor^ in March 1951 and 1954 ranged 

 from 196 to 204 mm and contained eggs with a 

 similar range (0.84 — 1.9 mm) indicating that 

 saury are capable of reaching first maturity 

 at lengths near 200 mm. Such fish would 

 probably range from 1.1 to 1.4 yrs. old (Table 3). 

 Eighteen of the 19 schools sampled were 

 composed principally of apparently mature fish 

 in a resting state. The remaining school was 

 predominantly 4-year-olds with females out- 

 numbering males 1 to 0.73, and 96% of these 

 were in spawning condition. Fish displaying 

 both spring-born and fall-born growth patterns 

 of scales were found in this school. 



LENGTH-WEIGHT RELATION 



The length-weight relation of saury captured 

 in 1970 and 1971 was determined by fitting the 

 logarithmic form of the equation W = qL^ , 

 where W is weight in grams and L is knob 

 length in millimeters, to mean emperical 

 weights in each 5-mm length interval. 



Separate relationships were determined for 

 each hypothesized race and area-year category 



by sex. Using an analysis of covariance (Dixon 

 and Massey, 1969), no significant difference in 

 the L-W relation was detected between years, 

 areas, or scale type, but there was a significant 

 difference (0.05 level) between males and 

 females. 



A total of 1,170 males and 1,642 females 

 representing immature, mature resting, and 

 ripe saury were included in the length-weight 

 regressions presented in Figure 5. The equation 

 for males was W = 3.293 X IQ-^L^oso ^nd for 

 females W = 2.077 X 10"^ L3132 pemales 

 were slightly lighter than males at lengths <225 

 mm and heavier than males at lengths >280 

 mm. 



GROWTH 



Interpretation of growth was complicated 

 because of the possible racial aspect and 

 extended spawning season. Growth was deter- 

 mined for sexes combined because of the high 

 probability of error in determining the sex of 

 young fish. It was assumed that growth in 

 length is asymj)totic and that the von Berta- 

 lanffy (1938) growth equation adequately 

 rei)resents such growth. 



Following methods of Stevens (1951), 

 average lengths (observed and calculated from 

 weight at age) were fitted to the equation 

 It = L^ [1 -e-^<'-'o)]. 



140- 

 130 



i 



y 90 



60' 

 50 



Molls 



W- 3,293 X 10"^ L^^^ 



Ftmol** 



W=2.077 X lO'^L^ 



•* J. MacGregor, Fishery Biologist, Natl. Oceanic 

 Atmos. Admin., Natl. Mar. Fish. Serv., Southwest Fish. 

 Center, La Jolla, Calif., personal commun. 



180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 



KNOB LENGTH (mm) 



Figure 5. — Length-weight relation of male and female 

 saury. The curve is fitted to mean-observed weight per 

 .■^-mm length interval. 



126 



