HORN: ABUNDANCE AND DIVERSITY OF MORRO BAY FISHES 



Atherinops Cymologaster Leptocottus 

 offinis aggregate ormatus 



Standard Length (mm) 



Figure 3. — Length frequencies of the three most abundant fish 

 species for the quarters sampled in Morro Bay. Sampling dates 

 are February 1976, May and August 1975, and November 1974. 



biomass of L. armatus were collected at night than 

 during the day; the differences were significant for 

 the February sample and the total collection (Ta- 

 ble 4). No significant differences in mean size were 

 found between day and night samples; slightly 



-15 



100 



Leptocottus ormatus 



FEB MAY AUG 



Sampling Period 



35 



25 



O) 



25*r 



15 



c 







o 



5 



15 



NOV 



Figure 4. — Mean lengths (dots) and weights (circles) of the 

 three most abundant fish species for the quarterly sampling 

 periods in Morro Bay. Sampling dates are February 1976, May 

 and August 1975, and November 1974. 



larger individuals were captured at night in Feb- 

 ruary and May whereas somewhat larger fish 

 were collected during the day in August and 

 November (Table 4). In February, the smallest fish 

 of the study (Figures 3, 4) were collected in large 

 numbers. The number of individuals composed 

 >76% of the total sample; however, biomass con- 

 tributed only about 4% of the total. In May, fish 

 size and biomass increased whereas numbers de- 



765 



