NOTE Macchi et al.: Effect of the spawning pattern of Merlucaus hubbsi on recruitment 



447 



68 



67 66 



1? 



43- 



44 



45 



4fr 



1996 



Argentina 



63 



62 



- 1 — i — i — i — i — i — | — i — i — i — i — i — | — i — i — i — i — r 



67 66 65 



64 63 62 



62 68 



Longitude "W 



67 



66 



65 



64 



63 



62 



Figure 2 



Distribution and density of Argentine hake iMerluccius hubbsi) estimated from trawl surveys carried out 

 during January (1996-2001) in the offshore area. The size of the symbols is proportional to the percentage 

 of spawning females (with hydrated oocytes). The square shows the Isla Escondida area. Vertical shaded 

 scale represent biomass in t/nautical mile 2 . 



(sA) was calculated and weighed by the corresponding 

 number of acoustic observations. 



The number of active females for each survey was 

 estimated by multiplying the number of hake within 

 each length class by the proportion of females and the 

 proportion of active females for that length class ob- 

 tained for that survey (Marshall et al., 1998). The sum 



of values estimated across the size range was an index 

 of the number of reproductive females in the sampled 

 area during that survey. 



Egg production of the Patagonian hake in Decem- 

 ber during the period 1988-2000 and in January from 

 1996 to 2001 was based on estimates of three variables: 

 the abundance of active females per length class, the 



