466 



Fishery Bulletin 105(4) 



76 °W 74 °W 72 °W 70 °W 68 °W 66 "w 



44 N -■ 



40 N - 



38 N- 



North 'jy) "4 W 

 Carolinfy^ , 



study area boundanes 

 200 meter isobath 

 Scallop survey stations 



76 W 74 W 72 W 70 W 



40 "N  - 



Figure 5 



Distribution of (A) scallop dredge survey stations in the study 

 area during 1982-2001 and (B) collections of benthic young-of- 

 the-year (20-130 mm total length) goosefish (Lophius ameri- 

 canus) from these same surveys during the same period. 



In the Middle Atlantic Bight, settlement may occur in 

 a smaller area than that over which larvae are distrib- 

 uted. Even though the larvae (<12 mm TL) were gener- 

 ally evenly distributed over the continental shelf up to 

 and including the surf zone (Fig. IB), pelagic juveniles 

 (>12-120 mm TL) were concentrated in the middle and 

 outer portion of the shelf (Fig. IC). An exception to this 

 pattern was the collection of some pelagic juveniles in 

 waters close to the coast of Long Island, NY. Although 

 goosefish larvae were not abundant on Georges Bank 

 and in the Gulf of Maine (Fig. IB), pelagic juveniles 

 were captured there in relatively large numbers along 

 the northern edge of Georges Bank and the adjacent 

 portion of the Gulf of Maine (Fig. IC). In these latter 



collections during NMFS hydroacoustic cruises from 

 September through October 2000 and 2001, frame 

 trawls were used to verify fish species. This sampling 

 gear captured pelagic juveniles (50-130 mm TL) at 

 depths ranging from the surface to 95 m within water 

 depths of 65-191 m. 



Most of the data and the majority (76%) of the benthic 

 YOY (20-120 mm TL) goosefish specimens were col- 

 lected from the NMFS scallop assessment surveys in 

 the Middle Atlantic Bight and on Georges Bank during 

 1982 to 2001 (Fig. 5). The distribution of YOY goosefish 

 reflects the boundaries of this survey. In the Middle 

 Atlantic Bight, benthic YOY goosefish were collected 

 on the central portion of the continental shelf from 



