208 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



+ 20 





 +■» 





 ?20 





 *20 





 +■20 





 T20 





 -20 



1ST QUARTER 



3D QUARTER 



3 4 5 



NUMBER OF ANNUL! 



2 D QUARTER 



+20 





 +■20 - 





 ?20 





 + 20 





 + 20 





 + 20 





 -20 



3 4 5 



NUMBER OF ANNULI 



4TH QUARTER 



NUMBER OF ANNULI 



NUMBER OF ANNULI 



Figure 21. — Deviations from the mean percent age composition of yellowtail landed from the southern New England 



stock, 1942^17. Dashed lines indicate the series of small modes. 



more available or else were mostly caught in 1945, 

 since no similar increase in 3-annuli fish was noted 

 in 1946 or 1947. 



The data on age composition (table 29) are 

 readily combined with the total landings in num- 

 bers of fish (table 21) to obtain an estimate of 

 the landings of each age group in each quarter 

 from the fourth quarter of 1942 through 1947 

 (table 30). These data will be used later in de- 

 termining mortality. Meanwhile, we note that on 

 the average, age-groups 2, 3, and 4 predominated, 

 comprising 28.1, 35.5, and 19.3 percent of the 



catches. An exception to this might be taken for 

 the average landings in the second quarter (the 

 spawning season) , when the 3-year-olds comprised 

 more than half of the total; but this average is 

 strongly influenced by the unusual sample from 

 the second quarter of 1944, and probably is not 

 representative. Also noteworthy is the fact that 

 the average landings of young fish prior to age 2 

 years and 3 months were negligible. The young- 

 est group strongly represented in the average 

 catch was the group with 2 annuli in the third 

 calendar quarter. 



