76 



Fishery Bulletin 88(1), 1990 



Table 3 



Least-squares linear and geometric mean (GM) regression equations of weight (WT) on total length (TL) and standard length (SL), 

 length-length, and TL-ventral otolith radius (OR) for Chaetodi ptcrun fiibcr from South Carolina waters. Weight unit in grams, SL 

 and TL units in millimeters, and OR expressed as ocular units (1 ocular unit = 0.04 mm). All least-squares linear regressions were 

 significant atP<O.OOL 



Least-squares equation 



GM functional equation 



log,,, WT = - 10.17 + 3.00 log,,, TL 

 log,,, WT = -9,16 -^ 2.92 log,,, SL 

 TL = 3.8 -I- 1.2 SL 

 SL = -3.2-1- 0.8 SL 

 TL = 13..5 -f 0.1 OR 



Table 5 



Estimated parameters, their standard errors (SE), and 95% 

 confidence limits (CL) of the von Bertalanffy growth equa- 

 tion for Chaetodipterus faber. Weighted residual sums of 

 squares = 424.80: L^ is the mean asymptotic total length; 

 K is the growth coefficient; and t„ is the time (years) at which 

 total length would theoretically be zero. 



Parameter Estimate 



Asymptotic 

 SE 



Asymptotic 

 95% CL 



Lower Upper 



K 



t.. 



490.41 

 0.34 



0.18 



15.21 

 0.03 

 0.11 



451.31 529.50 



0.25 0.42 



-0.11 0.48 



TLs at age (Fig. 8). A mean asymptotic TL (L^) of 490 

 mm may be reasonable for fish off Soutli Carolina. The 

 largest recorded C. faber landed in South Carolina to 

 date, which was captured and examined during the 

 course of this study, measured 504 mm TL. 



Reproduction 



Chi-square tests of the ratios of males to females 

 indicated that there were no significant (P>0.05) 

 deviations from lailQ ratios for C. faber of all ages 

 combined or for fish grouped by ages 0-6. 



Histological examination of reproductive organs 

 revealed that 64% of age-0 males were mature and all 

 males age 1 and older were mature. The smallest spent 

 male was age and 94 mm TL. Ovaries of all age-0 

 females were immature, while all females age 1 and 

 older were mature. The smallest sj)ent female was 120 

 mm TL. 



Analysis of maturity stages by month indicated 

 spawning activity for C. faber lasted from May through 

 September, and the greatest percentage (97%) of devel- 

 oping and ripe gonads was observed in May (Fig. 9). 

 P'roni June to October the percentage of developing 

 and ripe gonads decreased steadily to 0%. All reproduc- 

 tive organs from fish captured in October and Novem- 

 ber were resting, and no developing gonads were 

 collected after August. Collapsed follicles in various 



