FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 82, NO. 1 



these data (Table 3) and was the one employed in 

 calculating cinetransect volume. 



Distribution and Abundance of Fishes 



Five sets of bottom transects were made in each 

 study area. Water-column samples were taken on five 

 dates at SOK-U and on four at SOK-D. Transect 



Table 3. — Functions fit to camera range (Y) versus horizontal visi- 

 bility (X) relationship, and the best fit parameters as determined by 

 BMDP program P3R (Dixon and Brown 1979). Also noted are the 

 asymptotes calculated for each equation and data set, and the resid- 

 ual mean squares. Into= trials made with the camera facing into the 

 sun; Away = trials made with the camera facing away from the sun; 

 All = curves fit to all data. Pj, P 2 , and P 3 are arbitrary symbols for 

 the parameters of each function; there is no implied correspondence 

 between the numbered parameters of different functions. 



number and visibility at depth on each date are 

 shown in Table 4. 



Of the 28 species recorded in this study, 19 were 

 "resident" teleosts. Of these, 13 species were record- 

 ed on more than two transects in the two kelp-forest 

 areas (Table 5). These 13 common species could be 

 assigned to bathymetric categories, based on their 

 vertical patterns of frequency of occurrence (Table 

 5) and density (Tables 6, 7) within SOK. 



Kelp perch, halfmoon, and giant kelpfish were most 

 common in the upper strata and are designated 

 "canopy" species. While halfmoon and giant kelpfish 

 were observed in all strata, all three species were 

 most abundant in the 3 m stratum. Only halfmoon 

 reached moderate abundances at 7.6 m in the SOK-D 

 area (Tables 5, 6, 7). 



Sehorita, white seaperch, and kelp bass were com- 

 mon throughout the water column (Tables 5, 6, 7) and 

 are designated "cosmopolites". These three species 

 were among the most common and abundant fishes in 

 all strata. The white seaperch was the most cos- 

 mopolitan of the three in 1979, its density and fre- 

 quency of occurrence on transects varying little with 

 depth. The sehorita was the most abundant species 

 in nearly all strata. The kelp bass was also abundant 

 at all depths. Its numerical density varied little 

 among the water-column strata, but was generally 

 greater on the bottom. Its biomass was greater in the 

 lower strata (Tables 6, 7). Young kelp bass concen- 

 trated in the upper water column (Table 8), con- 

 tributing to the relatively low biomass per fish for 

 kelp bass in the 3 and 7.6 m strata. Our data indicate 



Table 4. — Sampling dates, number of transects, and visibilities measured during fall 1979 sampling in two areas within 

 the kelp bed at San Onofre (SOK-U and SOK-D) and in a nearby cobble-bottom area with little kelp (Cobble). Horizontal 

 visibility (vis.) measured in meters 



44 



