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Fishery Bulletin 93(4). 1995 



summarized from Thomas et al., 4 

 Thomas et al., 5 and Milstein and 

 Thomas (1977). 



Results 



Spawning season and 

 location 



We assumed that the temporal and 

 spatial patterns of the distribution 

 and abundance of the smallest lar- 

 vae (2-4 mm) indicated the timing 

 and the areas of spawning on the 

 continental shelf (Fig. 3). Larvae 

 were distributed from nearshore to 

 mid-shelf in subareas 1-6 and over 

 the shallower portion of subarea 7. 

 The highest average concentrations 

 of small larvae occurred in subarea 

 7, especially in the central portion. 

 Larvae 2-4 mm long were first cap- 

 tured in April in subareas 1-3 and 

 by May they were in all subareas 

 (Table 2). Catches in subareas 1—4 

 clearly showed a split spawning sea- 

 son (Fig. 4), and similar, though less 

 pronounced, patterns were evident 

 in subareas 5 and 6. A peak in abun- 

 dance of small larvae occurred in 

 May and a larger peak occurred in 

 November in subareas 1-4. Subar- 

 eas 4—5 showed light spawning dur- 

 ing spring and a significant peak in 

 October. In subarea 6, split spawn- 

 ing was less discernible; only a 

 slight peak in abundance of small 

 larvae occurred in June, but major spawning was 

 indicated in October. There was unimodal spawning, 

 with the peak abundance in August, in subarea 7. 

 Fall catches of small larvae in subareas 1—6 are often 

 5—20 times higher than peak catches earlier in the year. 



 Seine Stations 



 Ichthyoplankton Stations 



• Trawl Stations 



W •sw** 5 



Kilometers 5 



Figure 2 



Sampling locations for seine, trawl, and ichthyoplankton samples in southern 

 New Jersey habitats in the vicinity of Great Bay during 1970-74 based on 

 Milstein and Thomas (1977). Site 2 includes all stations offshore of site 1. See 

 Figure 1 for general location of sampling area. 



4 Thomas, D. L., C. B. Milstein, T. R. Tatham, R. C. Bieder, F. J. 

 Margraf, D. J. Danila, H. K. Hoff, E. A. Illjes, M. M. McCullough, 

 and F. A. Swiecicki. 1974. Ecological studies in the bays and 

 other waterways near Little Egg Inlet and in the ocean in the 

 vicinity of the site for the Atlantic generating station, New 

 Jersey. Progress Rep. for the period January-December 1973. 

 Vol. 1: Fishes. Ichthyological Associates, Inc., 709 p. 



5 Thomas, D. L., C. B. Milstein, T. R. Tatham, R. C. Bieder, D. J. 

 Danila, H. K. Hoff, D. P. Swiecicki, R. P. Smith. G. J. Miller, J. 

 J. Gift, andM.C. Wyllie. 1975. Ecological studies in the bays 

 and other waterways near Little Egg Inlet and in the ocean in 

 the vicinity of the site for the Atlantic generating station, New 

 Jersey. Progress Rep. for the period January-December 1974. 

 Vol. I: Fishes. Ichthyological Associates, Inc., 490 p. 



The monthly progression of the peak catches of 

 2—4 mm larvae from the southern extreme of the 

 study area in May to subarea 7 in July-September 

 and the return of peak catches to subareas 1-3 in 

 November indicate that water temperature may be 

 controlling spawning times and areas (Fig. 4). Win- 

 dowpane probably spawn on or near the bottom; 

 therefore bottom water temperatures were used to 

 indicate spawning temperatures. Only stations with 

 bottom depths <100 m are presented. The maximum 

 abundance of 2-4 mm larvae occurred at tempera- 

 tures 15-19°C in subareas 1-6 and at 14-15°C in 

 subarea 7 (Fig. 5). The range of bottom temperatures 

 where larvae were caught was 5— 23°C. The broadest 

 range of temperatures for 2-4 mm larvae was in sub- 

 area 5. Maximum temperature of occurrence was 

 highest in subarea 1 at 23°C and gradually decreased 



