498 



Fishery Bulletin 98(3) 



Table 3 



Predictive equations and summary statistics for best-fit regressions relating various body length and weight metrics for swordfish, 

 Xiphias gladius, in the central North Pacific. Source: Uchiyama et al. 1 1999). Eye-to-fork length (EFL) and lower jaw-to-fork length 

 (LJFL)are cm; and round weight iRWi and dressed weight' (DW) are kg. Sample size (f?) is number of fish (sexes pooled). All equa- 

 tions are significant at P<0.001. 



Model 



Equation 



SE6 



SEo 



EFL = a + bx LJFL 

 UFL = a + hy EFL 

 RW = ax EFL'' 

 DW = ay RW' 



EFL = -6.543 + 0.927 x LJFL 

 LJFL = 8.009 + 1.071 xEFL 

 RW = 1.299 X 10-'^ X EFL^°'^ 

 DW = 0.646 X fiW" "^- 



' Dressed weight is defined as round i total i weight minus the head, entrails, vertical and pectoral fins, and with caudal fin (including caudal 

 peduncle and keel i removed by a cut make between the 22nd and 23rd vertebrae (Uchiyama et al., 1999). 



maturity were within ±2-3'/r of their respective estimate 

 and provide reasonably precise input parameters for stock 

 assessment. Occasional estimates of less-than-complete 

 maturity in some larger length classes of females (Fig. 5) 



likely reflect chance indetection of relatively rare, large 

 atretic oocytes in the ovaries of inactive but mature 

 females. Such may be expected when only a single region 

 of ovary is examined histologically. We feel that the evalu- 



