FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL 72, NO. 2 



cated that the principal spawning season was in 

 the spring or early summer. A few small (10-30 

 mm) G. elongatum were taken in March and June, 

 but these were far more abundant in July and Sep- 

 tember. In December, substantial numbers of 35- 

 to 50-mm fish were taken, but none were less than 

 30 mm. Too few large individuals were taken to 

 indicate any further trends, but it seems probable 

 that G. elongatum requires several years to reach 

 maturity. Krueger and Bond (1972) have sug- 

 gested a 3-yr life cycle for this species in the sub- 

 tropical Atlantic. 



Danaphos oculatus (229; 19-41 mm) 



Danaphos oculatus does not appear to migrate 

 vertically. The night depth range was 430-600 m 

 and the day range 480-650 m. The day-night dif- 

 ference is an artifact due to depth spacing of the 

 samples. There were no trends in size composition 

 with depth. Danaphos oculatus matures at about 

 30 mm. There were no seasonal trends in size 

 composition or reproductive condition. 



Valenciennellus tripunctulatus (600; 10-32 mm) 



During the day, V. tripunctulatus was taken 

 principally between 400 and 550 m. The size- 

 frequency curves for tows at 500 and 525 m taken 

 in September 1970 were significantly different; 

 70% in the shallower tow were 20-25 mm, and 75% 

 in the deeper were over 25 mm. The day depth 

 range and evidence of changes in size composition 

 with depth agree with results reported by Krueger 

 (1972) for V. tripunctulatus in the central North 

 Atlantic. 



Krueger's data show that V. tripunctulatus 

 remains at the same depths during the night, but 

 near Hawaii this species undertakes a limited, but 

 definite upward migration. The night depth range 

 was 200-330 m. The catches per effort within this 

 range were roughly equivalent to those during the 

 day at 400-500 m. Catches below 330 m at night 

 were lower and probably due to contamination. 

 All sizes were taken within the night depth range. 

 Changes in size composition with depth were evi- 

 dent, but numbers sufficient to make statistical 

 comparisons were taken at more than one depth 

 only in December 1970. In that case, the curve 

 from the 200-m depth sample differed signi- 

 ficantly from those from samples at 270 and 

 320 m. About 90% of the fish in the shallower 

 sample were 10-16 mm and over 90% in the deeper 



were over 20 mm. Thus the upward extension of 

 the depth range at night was not due solely to 

 shallow catches of postlarvae or juveniles as 

 Krueger ( 1972) has suggested may be the case for 

 Badcock's (1970) earlier observation of limited 

 diurnal vertical migration by V. tripunctulatus 

 in the eastern Atlantic. 



Valenciennellus tripunctulatus matures at 

 about 25 mm. Large proportions of the mature 

 females (90-100%) carried well-developed ova at 

 all seasons. There were no obvious seasonal trends 

 in size composition. 



Other Gonostomatidae 



Two Woodsia nonsuchae (39 and 106 mm) were 

 taken at 530 and 620 m at night, respectively. A 

 damaged specimen (22 mm) that was probably W. 

 nonsuchae was taken in a day tow to 875 m. 



Margrethia obtusirostra (18; 8-44 mm) was 

 taken mostly at night between 180 and 200 m. The 

 two day catches were in tows at 350 and 540 m. 

 The two largest specimens, 44 mm, were mature 

 females and the next largest, 34 mm, was a female 

 with ova beginning to develop. 



Chauliodontidae 



Chauliodus sloani (147; 21-250 mm) 



Chauliodus sloani appeared to migrate from a 

 day depth range of 450-825 m to 45-225 m at night. 

 No individual over 65 mm was taken above 100 m 

 at night nor above 500 m during the day. All fish 

 over 120 mm were taken below 175 m at night or 

 below 600 m during the day. 



The pooled data from each series showed 

 significant differences in size composition (Figure 

 4A) which indicated that C. sloani spawns princi- 

 pally in the spring or early summer and reaches 

 lengths of 70-100 mm by the following March. 

 Individuals less than 40 mm were present only in 

 June, July, and September and were most abun- 

 dant in the June and July series. These were likely 

 represented by the large numbers of 40- to 

 70-mm fish present in September and December 

 and 70- to 100-mm fish which dominated the 

 March samples. Too few large fish were collected 

 to assess any further trends in size composition. 

 Chauliodus sloani almost certainly takes several 

 years to reach maturity. Only the two largest 

 specimens (females, 225 and 250 mm) were ma- 

 ture. The next largest was only 185 mm. 



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