BOWERING: DISTRIBUTION OF WITCH FLOUNDKR 



61° 60° W° 58° 57° 56° 55° 54° 53° 52° 5l° 50° 49° 48° 47° 46° 



Figure 4.— Mean number of witch flounder caught per 30-min set per (rectangle) in NAFO Div. 2J. 3K, and 3L during 1977-83 by 



Canadian research vessels. 



of 301-600 m showed any significant numbers 

 with a peak at 501-600 m after which numbers 

 declined rapidly to near zero. In Div. 3K witch 

 flounder were caught in depths ranging from 201 

 to 900 m. Only one set was conducted in depths 

 <201 m which yielded no catch (Fig. 5). The mean 

 catch per set increased very sharply from this 

 depth to peak at 401-500 m. The mean catch per 

 set of about 47 fish at that depth interval was 

 significantly different than mean catches in all 



other depths (Fig. 5). Mean catches beyond 500 m 

 dropped off dramatically to near zero beyond 

 600 m. In Div. 3L witch flounder were caught in 

 depths ranging from < 101 to 800 m. No sets were 

 conducted beyond 800 m (Fig. 5). Mean catches in 

 depths <201 m were close to zero, based upon 864 

 sets. The increase in mean catch per set was sim- 

 ilar to that of Div. 3K and peaked at 301-500 m, 

 however, there was considerable overlap in confi- 

 dence limits (Fig. 5). Unlike Div. 2J and 3K there 



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