FISHERY BULLETIN; VOL. 87, NO. 1 



C. similis and C. omatus, noted increased abun- 

 dance from May to November with the largest 

 catches in May, June, and October. Comparison of 

 mean catch per tow between areas showed that C. 

 similis was most abundant in strata off Florida and 

 North Carolina/South Carolina during summer and 

 in strata off Georgia during fall (Fig. 4). For all 

 seasons, however, the mean catch per tow was high- 

 est for strata off North Carolina/South Carolina 

 where an average of 24 individuals and 0.49 kg were 

 taken per tow. 



Size composition of C. similis differed between 

 seasons with average size smallest in fall (x CW = 

 61 mm, n = 1,685). Average sizes during other sea- 

 sons were spring (68 mm CW, w = 167); summer 

 (67 mm CW, n = 2,558); and winter (64 mm CW, 

 n = 36). The average size of individuals collected 

 from strata off Florida (iCW = 72 mm, w = 1,025) 

 was larger than those from Georgia (x CW = 59 

 mm, n = 1,111) and South Carolina/North Carolina 

 (5 CW = 65 mm, n = 2,310). 



Sex ratios of C. similis indicated a significant 



60 



40H 



20 



Penaeus setiferus 



10/15 ^1 



rn '/I5'^ ,/24 



J I II ^ I I 



24/25 

 31/36 ^1 31/38 



125/45^1 

 JIL. 



cc 



LU 

 Q. 



CO 



_i 

 < 



9 

 > 



Q 



40 



20H 



Portunus spinimanus 



13/15 



1^1 



40- 

 20- 



Hepatus epheliticus 



5/15 3/i5 4/24 

 I I ^^ I I 



_^_ 



17/24 pX^l 



8/20 36/5 

 TT^ 29/36 



i 



20/25 l^^5 



CC 

 LU 



m 



40-1 

 20- 



Callinectes sapidus 



10/15 14/24 



'^,6/24 '^<sm 



3/c5 12/25 14/38 



< 



LU 



40 



20H 



Trachypenaeus constrictus 



17/25 27/38 



40 

 20-1 



Penaeus duorarum 



6/15 0/15 6/24 



9/15 



i 



1/15 12/24 



 rn 



i:^ 



WINTER SPRING SUMMER 



Figure i.— Continued. 



CV^ 



5/25 20/38 



FALL 



168 



