FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 70. NO. 3 



30r 



Figure 8. — A 16-year comparison of the re- 

 gional census estimate derived for this paper 

 and the standard haul summation quarterly 

 average (Ahlstrom, 1968). 



5 10 15 



REGIONAL CENSUS ESTIMATES (LARVAE X lO'^l 



average regional census estimate, the winter 

 spawning, and seasonal maximum are found in 

 Figure 9. It is clear that the same trend and 

 magnitude of increase are seen from each model. 

 Since there is no obvious difference, the annual 

 average regional census estimate of larva abun- 

 dance will be used for the current biomass esti- 

 mates. 



It may be seen from Table 9 that the anchovy- 

 larvae have increased in number, particularly in 

 the southern California section. Figure 10 il- 

 lustrates the subdivision of the regional census 

 estimate annual totals by section of the coast 

 from 1951 to 1966. Within the southern Cali- 

 fornia section, the inshore region was the dom- 

 inant producer of anchovy larvae for the first 7 



years. In the next 3 years, the southern Cali- 

 fornia offshore became equally important in 

 numbers of anchovy larvae. Between 1962 and 

 1965, the seaward region (160-280 miles off the 

 coast) was a very important locality for anchovy 

 larvae and this influence dropped radically to 

 pre-1961 values in 1966 (Figure 11). This 

 change and a smaller one inshore resulted in an 

 appreciable lowering of the overall total in 1966 

 (Figure 10). The subpopulations of the north- 

 ern anchovy have been assigned to coastal sec- 

 tions (Vrooman°; Vrooman and Smith, 1972), 



" Vrooman, A. M. Anchovy subpopulations. Unpub- 

 lished manuscript filed at National Marine Fisheries 

 Service, Southwest Fisheries Center, P.O. Box 271, La 

 Jolla, CA 92037. 



866 



