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Fishery Bulletin 93(3), 1995 



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Figure 7 



Monthly averages of abundance of age 0+ black sea bass, 

 Centropristis striata, and temperature in the estuary (A 

 and B) and on the inner continental shelf in the vicinity of 

 Beach Haven Ridge (C and D). Abundance was based on 

 trap collections in the estuary and on beam trawl sam- 

 pling landward and seaward of the ridge. 



reported by Kendall ( 1972). Thus, black sea bass may 

 settle to the bottom at sizes between 10 and 16 mm 

 TL. This size range also corresponds to the size at 

 which ossification of fin rays and vertebrae is com- 

 pleted (Kendall, 1972). The smallest individual pre- 

 viously reported from the continental shelf was one 

 of 43 mm (Massman et al., 1962). Settlement on the 

 inner continental shelf and in the estuary occurred 

 from July through October according to our estima- 

 tions based on collections of small individuals (<20 

 mm TL) throughout that period (Fig. 4). The identi- 

 fication of two length modes during 1992 in both the 

 estuary and on the inner continental shelf (Fig. 4) 

 was not as obvious at the same continental shelf lo- 

 cation in 1991 when small juveniles ( 10-20 mm TL, 

 n=35) occurred from August through October. On the 

 basis of consistent occurrence of age 0+ individuals, 



it is evident that both the inner continental shelf and 

 estuaries function as nurseries (see below) during 

 the first summer and fall. 



Black sea bass (age 0+) appear to leave the estu- 

 ary and the inner continental shelf off New Jersey 

 during the fall and to move to deeper waters as indi- 

 cated by the decline in CPUE in the estuary, by the 

 simultaneous increase in numbers on the inner shelf, 

 and by the subsequent complete disappearance offish 

 from both of these areas by winter. This pattern is 

 evident on the continental shelf throughout the mid- 

 Atlantic Bight from fall collections of the same year 

 class, especially south of Delaware Bay (Fig. 10) as 

 previously observed (Musick and Mercer, 1977). 

 These movements are likely initiated in the fall by 

 decreasing temperatures as suggested by the de- 

 crease in fish abundance with declining estuarine 



