FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 80. NO. 4 



margin along the ventral edge of the sulcus 

 acousticus. Two independent readings were 

 made on each. 



Most analyses were performed using the Sta- 

 tistical Analysis System (Helwig and Council 

 1979). A FORTRAN program based on Poole 

 (1961) gave back-calculated length at age. The 

 von Bertalanffy growth equation (Bertalanffy 

 1938) was fitted to mean back-calculated fork 

 length at age using parameters derived from 

 Walford lines obtained by least square linear re- 

 gressions (Everhart et al. 1975). All regression 

 equations other than the regressions of radial 

 measurement on fork length are the functional 

 regressions of Ricker (1973, 1975). 



Sex and reproductive condition of most fish 

 were determined by histological examination of 

 the gonads, which were fixed in formal-alcohol 

 solution (Humason 1972). Tissues were prepared 

 for embedding by passage through an Autotech- 

 nicon Duo Model 2A Automatic Tissue Proces- 

 sor. Gonads were embedded in paraffin, 

 sectioned at ~7/n with a rotary microtome, 

 stained with Harris' hematoxylin and counter- 

 stained with eosin Y. The first 200 slides were 

 read by two individuals, then, following 

 agreement on interpretation, the remaining 

 sections were viewed by a single observer. Sex 

 and maturity codes were formed by modifying 

 Moe (1969) and Mercer (1978) and applying the 

 four part index of Hilge (1977). The sex codes 

 include hermaphrodite recognition and, when 

 used with the maturity stages, give an accurate 

 and objective estimate of reproductive status. 

 Sexes were identified as undifferentiated, male, 

 female, simultaneous hermaphrodites, male- 

 predominating hermaphrodite, and female- 

 predominating hermaphrodite. Maturity was 

 classed as follows: 



Terminology used in histological descriptions of 

 gonadal development follows Hyder (1969) and 

 Combs (1969). 



Fecundity estimates were obtained from 

 developing ovaries which were weighed (nearest 

 gram) and placed in Gilson's solution (Humason 

 1972). Following digestion of the connective 

 tissue and external tunic, the eggs were washed 

 and stored in 50% isopropyl alcohol. Eggs were 

 diluted to 1 1, and three to four 1 ml subsamples 

 were removed from a well-mixed suspension, 

 placed in gridded petri dishes, and counted at 

 12X. The mean of the individual counts ex- 

 panded to the 1 1 volume was used to estimate 

 total fecundity. Histological examination re- 

 vealed that eggs of diameter <0.15 mm were re- 

 tained in spent ovaries without signs of atresia, 

 while larger unshed oocytes atrophied. Eggs 

 >0.15 mm were considered potential gametes for 

 the impending spawn and were the only ones in- 

 cluded in the fecundity estimates. 



RESULTS 



Distribution and Abundance 



Calamus leucosteus occurred in 94 of 575 

 stratified random otter trawl tows in depths 

 <110 m during research survey cruises from 

 1973 to 1977. This species was taken in depths of 

 11 to 88 m from lat. 28 °50'N to 34°36'N (Fig. 1). 

 Although whitebone porgies were caught over 

 the sandy bottom of the open shelf habitat, they 

 were more frequently taken in trawl tows that 

 contained sponges and corals, indicative of iso- 

 lated patch reefs. Calamus leucosteus was found 

 in 58% of the 67 trawl tows containing live bottom 

 organisms and 1 1% of the open shelf tows during 

 the surveys from 1973 to 1977. During the spring 

 of 1978, otter trawl sampling in shallow water 

 (18-42 m) sponge-coral habitat from Florida to 

 North Carolina collected C. leucosteus in 43 of 57 

 tows. Thus, C. leucosteus may be found in reef 

 and nonreef habitats in the South Atlantic Bight. 



Seasonal catch/tow values indicated that C. 

 leucosteus moved into warmer offshore waters 



864 



