FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72. NO. 2 



Figure 16. — Distribution and abundance of mature Urophycis 

 chuss during the winter. Abundance in each sampling stratum 

 is indicated on a log scale. 



U tenuis 



SUMMER 

 9-50 cm Total lengtti 







□ <-0.24 



□ 0.25-0.99 

  1.00-2.49 



Figure 17. — Distribution and abundance of immature Urophy- 

 cis tenuis during the summer. Abundance in each sampling 

 stratum is indicated on a log scale. 



Seasonal Distribution of U. tenuis 



During summer (Figure 11 ), immatur ell. tenuis 

 were rare or absent over most of the southern 

 New England area. Moderate numbers were 

 taken in the strata deeper than 100 fm off 

 Nantucket and the southern part of Georges Bank 

 and the strata deeper than 60 fm along the 

 eastern part of Georges Bank. In the Gulf of 

 Maine, immature U. tenuis were taken in mod- 

 erate numbers in the Great South Channel 

 (Stratum 23) and in the northern part of the 

 Gulf. The highest abundance value was in 

 Stratum 39 off the northern Maine coast. 



In the fall, immature U. tenuis were most 

 abundant in the northern and eastern parts of 

 the Gulf (Figure 18), and moderately abundant 

 in the deep central Gulf, the Great South Chan- 

 nel, and on the middle and northern edge of 

 Georges Bank. Immature U. tenuis were also 

 abundant in the stratum deeper than 100 fm 

 at the eastern edge of Georges Bank and mod- 

 erately abundant in strata deeper than 60 fm to 

 the south and west off southern New England. 

 Only one stratum south of Georges Bank less 

 than 60 fm deep (Stratum 2) had moderate 

 numbers of U. tenuis. This stratum includes the 

 inshore extension of Hudson Canyon. 



In the Gulf of Maine during the winter (Figure 

 19), immature U. tenuis were most abundant in 

 the deeper northern strata (Strata 36 and 38) 

 and along the northern edge of Georges Bank. 

 Immature U. tenuis were absent or rare in areas 

 less than 60 fm off southern New England but 



were fairly abundant in some strata deeper than 

 100 fm. 



Indices of abundance of U. tenuis by tempera- 

 ture interval were less reliable than those of 

 U. chuss because U. tenuis was much less 

 abundant, particularly off southern New Eng- 

 land. Single large tows often lowered the preci- 

 sion of mean catch estimates because of the 

 relatively small total number of U. tenuis col- 

 lected. Consequently, for some seasons only tem- 

 perature ranges can be discussed. In the southern 

 New England area, immature U. tenuis were 

 taken from 4° to 14°C in the summer. Only one 

 station was made at 15^C and at 16°C. Although 

 U. tenuis was not taken there, the sampling 



U tenuis 



FALL 

 9-50 cm Total length 



Figure 18. — Distribution and abundance of immature Urophy- 

 cis tenuis during the fall. Abundance in each sampling stratum 

 is indicated on a log scale. 



490 



