FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 87, NO. 1 



(Bladodyorov and Nosov 1978^; Patchell 1982; Kuo 

 and Tanaka 1984a, b) and Tasmania (Wilson 1981, 

 1982). These migrations imply a countermigration 

 by either larvae or juveniles back to adult habitats 

 (e.g.. Harden Jones 1968; McKeown 1984). Patchell 

 (1982) reported movement of eggs away from 

 spawning areas in New Zealand, and subsequently 

 collected juveniles in coastal habitats hundreds of 

 km from the spawning area. Similarly small juvenile 

 M. novaezelandiae have been collected in estuaries 

 and on the coastal shelf along the southeastern and 

 eastern coasts of Tasmania (Wilson 1981, 1982; Last 

 et al. 1983; Bulman and Blaber 1986), over 200 km 

 from the known spawning area. 



'Bladodyorov, A. I., and E. V. Nosov. 1978. The biological 

 basis of rational exploitation of Macruronus novaezelandiae. 

 Unpubl. TINRO manuscr. English translation held by New Zea- 

 land Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Fisheries Research 

 Division Library, 7 p. 



How juveniles move between the spawning area 

 and these coastal habitats, or even whether this is 

 a rare or common occurrence in the species is un- 

 known. The present study investigated the distribu- 

 tion, sizes, and ages of larval M. novaezelandiae, on 

 the basis of which patterns of advection, larval 

 growth, and the relationship between the two could 

 be inferred. 



METHODS 



Sampling Procedures 



Ichthyoplankton samples were collected at ap- 

 proximately two monthly intervals from April 1984 

 to September 1985. Samples were obtained at fixed 

 stations along nine transects located roughly equi- 

 distantly aroimd Tasmania (Fig. 1). Additional sam- 

 ples were obtained in July and August 1985 along 



39°S 



40' 



41' 



42' 



43' 



44°- 



143°E 144° 145° 146° 147° 148° 149° 150° 



Figure 1.— Location of ichthyoplankton sampling sites (solid circles) and release points (X's) of drift 

 cards. The drogued buoy was released at the release point for drift cards south of the spawning area. 

 Cross-hatched area indicates apparent principal spawning area of Macruronus novaezelandiae in 

 Australian coastal waters. 



30 



