WYLLIE ECHEVERRIA: REPRODUCTION OF CALIFORNIA ROCKFISHES 



Table 1.— Sample characteristics used to determine age and size at maturity and seasonality 



for Sebastes from central California. 



'Denotes species not sampled every month for determination of seasonality. 



^Denotes difficult to interpret otoliths for age determination. 



^Denotes species of major importance in the sport or commercial fisheries of California. 



standard linear regression. These estimates of a and 

 b were then used to calculate estimates of size or 

 age (x) at 50% maturity (P = 0.5). This was done 

 for all species with a sample of 10 specimens or more 

 for each length or age. Where adequate data existed, 

 P50 for a species was calculated by year and area 

 to investigate possible yearly or geographic varia- 

 tion. 



Reproductive stages for mature individuals were 

 summarized by month, and the percentages of in- 



dividuals at each reproductive stage were used to 

 determine principal months of spermatogenesis (ap- 

 proximates mating), fertilization, and larval extru- 

 sion for each species. Seasonality was described only 

 approximately for those species that were not pres- 

 ent in all months sampled (Table 1). 



Reproductive months for mature females were 

 determined and the percentage containing eyed 

 larvae was noted. Data from 1981 through 1985 

 were tabulated to compare annual variability in the 



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