LOVE ET AL.: LIFE HISTORY AND FISHERY OF WHITE CROAKER 



on the 8, 15, 22, and 36 m stations; no statistically 

 significant difference was found (N = 26; P > 0.05). 

 The similarities of the overall estimates based on 

 these two station groupings are shown in Figure 13. 



On the basis of our 8 and 22 m stations we have 

 extrapolated density estimates to 36 m. Estimates 

 were made for the truncated Palos Verdes and 

 Laguna Beach transects as well, which are likely to be 

 upwardly biased as they are based on two high den- 

 sity stations (15 and 22 m). Data in Figure 13 show 

 that these two transects are not high density ones; in 

 fact, Palos Verdes is low for that section of the coast. 

 The Laguna Beach transect is lower than the next two 

 transects to the north. We included the Laguna 

 Beach transect in the portion of the Southern Califor- 

 nia Bight where white croaker larvae are in high abun- 

 dance, on the basis that the density would still be 

 higher than the portion of the coast from San Onofre 

 to San Diego, based on just the 8 and 22 m stations, 

 even if the 8 m station contributed no larvae. 



We estimated, from oblique bongo tows taken at the 



8 and 22 m stations (15 and 22 m stations at Palos 

 Verdes and Laguna Beach), the average density of 

 white croaker larvae between August 1979 and July 

 1980 to have been 740/1,000 m-\ 2,203/1,000 m\ 

 and 4 1 1/1,000 m 3 for the regions between Point Con- 

 ception and Playa del Rey, Redondo Beach and 

 Laguna Beach, and San Onofre and the international 

 border, respectively. On the basis that there is no 

 significant difference between estimates based on 

 the 8 and 22 m stations and one based on the 8, 15, 

 22, and 36 m stations, we use the 8 and 22 m density 

 estimates to project the average number of white 

 croaker larvae to the 36 m isobath. 



It has been estimated (Lavenberg and McGowen 

 footnote 7) that about 3 1 km 3 of water are located in a 

 band along the coast between Point Conception and 

 the U.S. -Mexican international border and extend- 

 ing seaward to the 36 m isobath. Of this, 15.6 km 3 

 (50.6%) is located in the region between Point Con- 

 ception and Playa del Rey, 7.9 km 3 (25.9%) between 

 Redondo Beach and Laguna Beach, and 7.2 km 3 



■j-i 

 \- 



u 



LU 



w 



2 



< 



80 



DR 

 81.5 



RN 

 83 

 OB 



85 



MU 



87 

 RB 

 PV 



88 

 BA 

 90 

 SO 

 91 

 CD 



93 



MB 

 95 



SANTA 



BARBARA 



3 2 



RANKINGS 



SAN 



DIEGO 



FIGURE 12. — Rank abundance of white croaker larvae collected in 

 oblique bongo tows taken along 20 transects in the Southern Califor- 

 nia Bight between August 1979 and July 1980. See Table 2 for sta- 

 tion abbreviation definitions. 



DR 



81.5 



RN 



88 



BA 



90 



SO 

 91 



93 

 MB 

 95 



Based on 2 Stations 

 Based on 4 Stations 



r 



T 



SAN 

 DfEGO 



500 



1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 

 NUMBER OF LARVAE PER 1000 m 3 



FIGURE 13. — Mean densities of white croaker larvae along 20 tran- 

 sects in the Southern California Bight between August 1979 and 

 July 1980. See Table 2 for station abbreviation definitions. 



191 



