Able et al.: Transitions In morphological features, habitat use, and diet of Lophius amenconus 



465 



0.50-1 

 25 

 0,00 



August 



050-1 

 025 



0.00 



.n-, n-^ 



September 

 n , rw 



,^, . ■, 



Pelagic f)=32 

 Benthic n=1 



Pelagic n=46 

  Benthic n=857 



I I Pelagic n=BO 

 *- — J' Benthic n=1 31 7 



Pelagic n=47 

 I I Benthic n=997 



m, -, f l, 



I J 



Pelagic n=61 

 Benthic ffc58 



0.50- 

 0.25- 

 000- 

 0,50 . 

 0.25 . 

 00 



October 



n  J 



Pelagic n=27 

 J Benthic n=168 



November 



n , n n R- 



Pelagic n=12 

 I _ I Benthic n=34 



Total length (mm) 



Figure 4 



Composite and monthly length-frequency distributions of pelagic (open bars) and 

 benthic (closed bars) goosefish ^Lophius americanus) based on collections from 

 the Middle Atlantic Bight, Georges Bank, and Gulf of Maine (Table 1; Fig. 1). 



tion was consistent with estimates from whole goosefish 

 otoliths made by resource scientists (Lang-^). 



Distribution and abundance 



Spawning of goosefish, as inferred from the distribu- 

 tion of larvae (<12 mm TL) is centered in the Middle 

 Atlantic Bight (Fig. IB). Far fewer larvae have been 



^ Lang, K. 2004. Personal commun. National Oceanic and 

 Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Ser- 

 vice, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, 

 Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026. 



collected on Georges Bank and in the Gulf of Maine 

 relative to the Middle Atlantic Bight, although sam- 

 pling effort was comparable between regions (Steimle et 

 al., 1999). Local collections of goosefish larvae (range: 

 1.7-10.8 mm notochord length [NL]) along the north- 

 ern New Jersey coast from 1996 to 1999 reveal their 

 densities to be similar between the surf (mean=0.68 

 [±0.19] individuals/100 m^) and nearshore (mean=0.66 

 [±0.11] individuals/100 m^) habitats (Fig. 2). The 

 abundance of larvae along the northern New Jersey 

 coast was variable and there were no consistent pat- 

 terns between years (Fig. 2). These local, inshore data 

 show that the larvae inhabit waters shallower than 

 those surveyed in the NMFS MARMAP program. 



