654 



Fishery Bulletin 97(3), 1999 



ii 4- 



73 



UU > 20 mm 

 ■1 <20mm 



X 



M 



M 



J J 



Month 



O 



D 



Figure 5 



Mean number per 100 m- of newly recruited i<20 mm SLi and larger barred sand bass 

 iParalabrax nebulifer) captured by month in Alamitos Bay from May 1992 through November 

 1995 (/!=435 tows). Error bars represent + one standard error for the total number of barred 

 sand bass per 100 m' captured by month. 



lu 20 .10 40 



60 70 80 90 100 



10 20 ,10 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 



Size class (mm) 



Figure 6 



Length-frequency distributions of barred sand bass iParalabrax nebulifer) captured in eel- 

 grass (Zostera marina) habitat in Alamitos Bay from May 1992 through November 1995. See 

 Figure 3 for further explanation 



beds. Eelgrass beds may be productive foraging areas 

 for them. Although the diet of newly recruited and small 

 juvenile barred sand bass is not known, larger juvenile 

 barred sand bass (123-239 mm SL) consume amphi- 

 pods, shrimps, and other small crustaceans (Roberts 

 et al., 1984). These items are often abundant in eel- 

 grass beds, and this plentiful food supply may en- 

 able them to achieve faster growth rates, enabling 

 them to achieve a size that is less vulnerable to pre- 



dation more quickly (Levin et al., 1997). Additionally, 

 eelgrass may offer shelter because most newly recruited 

 and juvenile barred sand bass have been observed 

 around eelgrass or other structure such as mussels, 

 rocks, or debris during SCUBA surveys (senior author's 

 unpubl. data). Larger juveniles and adults are mostly 

 found over sandy bottoms and among rocks (Turner et 

 al., 1969; Feder et al.,1974) and are scarce in eelgrass 

 beds (senior author's unpubl. data). 



