Lowerre-Barbieri et al.: Age and growth of Cynoscion regalis 



649 



6OO-1 1990 





 600 



r age 2 

 - age 3 



Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct 

 Month 



Figure 5 



Mean monthly total lengths at age 2 and 3 of 

 Chesapeake Bay weakfish, Cynoscion regalis, 

 1990-92. Sample size is indicated next to each 

 point. 



2.6 kg (626 mm TL) in 1969 to 3.9 kg (712 mm TL) in 

 1970. By 1973 maximum weight had more than 

 doubled, compared with that in the late 1960's, with 

 6.4 kg (834 mm TL) in Virginia and 5.9 kg (813 mm 

 TL) in Delaware. Maximum sizes continued to in- 

 crease until 1985 and remained high until 1989 in 

 Virginia and 1990 in Delaware. 



The abundance of large fish in Chesapeake and 

 Delaware Bays also increased in the early 1970's, 

 concurrent with the increase in maximum size. From 

 1958 to 1968, only 64 fish >1.8 kg (556 mm TL) were 

 reported in Virginia (Fig. 10). Similarly in 1968 and 

 1969, only 13 fish >1.4 kg (513 mm TL) were reported 



Age 6 (n=29) 

 p Age 5 (n=62) 

 Age 4 {n =223) 

 Age 3 (n=264) 



Age 2 (n=291) 

 ~Age 1 (n=93) 



200 400 600 800 



Total length (mm) 



Figure 6 



Length frequencies at age for weakfish, Cynoscion regalis, 

 collected in April and May 1989-92, pooled over gears and 

 locations. 



in Delaware Bay. However the number offish >1.8 

 kg (556 mm TL) reported in Virginia increased from 

 2 in 1969 to 83 in 1970. Similarly, in Delaware Bay, 

 the number of fish >1.4 kg (513 mm TL) increased 

 from 12 in 1969 to 121 in 1970. By 1980, 1,399 fish 

 >5 kg (771 mm TL) received citations in Virginia, 

 and 1,229 fish >4.6 kg (751 mm TL) received cita- 

 tions in Delaware. 



Both Chesapeake and Delaware Bay have recently 

 shown a marked decrease in maximum size and 

 abundance of large weakfish. The number of large 



