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Fishery Bulletin 101(4) 



December. The duration of the reproductive season, as evi- 

 denced by advanced reproductive condition determined by 

 the GSI, was also confirmed from histological assessments 

 of maturity stages for all gonads collected during this time 

 period (not just those used for the fecundity study) which 

 indicated that reproductively developing males were present 



5 



7 - 



65 



60 



5.5 - 



5.0 



Ln BW=-]] A +29 

 r'=949. F= 9690.4 

 /I = 1 29 



250 



300 



350 



400 



450 



500 



550 



600 



Total length (mm) 



Figure 5 



Regression analysis of log-transformed (Ln) body weight on total length 

 for fecund striped mullet in South Carolina estuaries from 1998 to 2000. 

 n ( number of fish in sample) = 129. 



August through February, whereas reproductively develop- 

 ing females were present August through April (Fig. 8). 



There was no significant difference in oocyte density 



among subsamples taken from different areas of the ovary 



lobe. This result was obtained by using an ANOVA of oocyte 



densities between the four divided areas of the ovary lobes 



where subsamples were taken (F=0.421, 



df=3). This analysis allowed us to accept 



the assumption that oocytes were equally 



distributed throughout the ovary lobes, 



which provided validation for the random 



sampling of oocytes from different areas of 



the lobe in order to determine individual 



fecundity. 



The regression of individual fecundity 

 with total length (TL) was not a linear 

 relationship, whereas the regression of 

 fecundity on body weight (BW) was linear. 

 Therefore, the comparisons of individual 

 fecundity to total length (TL) and body 

 weight (BW) were made by using both the 

 raw data and the data with natural log 

 transformations. The range of specimen 

 total lengths was 291 to 600 mm in 1998, 

 332 to 588 mm in 1999, and 325 to 592 mm 

 in 2000 and for body weight 242 to 2149 g 

 in 1998, 335 to 2008 g in 1999, and 284 to 

 2144 g in 2000. Mean fecundity, compared 

 between years with a two sample Mest, 

 was significantly different between 1999 

 and 2000 {t=0.019, df=78, P=0.985) but 

 was not significantly different between 

 1998 and 1999 (<=0.974, df=86, P=0.336) 



650 



