166 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



LENGTH IN INCHES 



10 20 30 10 20 30 10 20 30 10 20 30 10 20 



40 60 40 60 40 60 40 60 40 60 



LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS 



 ■■I'l'i I t. | I .. ,. I. .. [ 1 1 , I , I.,., 



30*H3 20 Xf\0 SO yJo 20 Xf lO 



LENGTH IN INCHES 



Figure 13b. — Deviations from the average size composi- 

 tions, by seasons, 1937 to 1942. 



1943 1944 I94S 1946 Id47 1946 



40 60 ' 40 60 40 60 • 40 60 • 40 60 ' 40 60~ 



, , LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS 



lio ' ' 20 ' ajio ' 20 ' jolo ' 20 '»l'io' ^ 'aJ'iQ 20 ' aj ' ji ^6 ' i^ 



LENGTH IN INCHES 



Figure 13e. — Deviations from the average size composi- 

 tions, by seasons, 1943 to 1948. 



and 1941 had an identical, low average weight of 

 2.37 pounds. In 1936, this low average weight was 

 associated with a slight abundance of small-sized 

 and a scarcity of large-sized haddock, while in 1941 

 it was associated with factors entirely different — 

 an abundance of all sizes, but with smaU haddock 

 much more abundant than large-sized haddock. 



It is obvious that average weight is dependent 

 upon the relative numbers of the various sizes and 

 not upon the actual numbers of fish of various sizes. 



In table 33 are shown the size composition of the 

 average year and the percent size composition. 

 Undersized haddock 



The New England Fish Exchange defines scrod 

 haddock as 1% to 2^ pounds. The average length 



LENGTH IN CENTIMETERS 



Figure 14. — Size compositions of total haddock landings 

 from Georges Bank, by years. 



of lYi pound haddock is about 41 centimeters. 

 Thus, most fish up to and including the 39-centi- 

 meter size group could be considered as under- 

 sized. From table 33, we see that in the average 

 year about 4,974,000 undersized fish were landed, 

 or 13.5 percent of the total. In all years the total 

 number of undersized haddock landed was about 

 89,513,000. The numbers of undersized haddock 

 that were landed in each year are shown in table 

 34. 



Scrod versus large haddock 



Table 35 shows the percentages of each size 

 group that were scrod and large haddock; figure 16 

 shows the actual size compositions of scrod and 

 large haddock. 



The dividing line between scrod and large had- 

 dock for the average of the 18-year period was 

 about 48 centimeters. Below 48 centimeters most 

 fish landed were classified as scrod; above 48 most 

 were classified as large haddock. 



This dividing line has varied from year to year, 

 owing to differences in relative abundance of fish of 

 difference sizes and to market conditions. Such 



