NOTE Lang et al.: Use of otolith microstructure in resolving first year growth and spawning seasonality of Urophyas tenuis 1 1\ 



Back-calculated spawning dates indicated that 

 peak spawning occurred in the late winter for fish 

 collected from the mid-Atlantic Bight and Georges 

 Bank (smaller, younger individuals), whereas peak 

 spawning occurred in late spring (March-April) for 

 fish collected along coastal New England (larger, 

 older individuals) (Fig. 4). 



Age-length data of the juvenile hake (all data com- 

 bined) were best described by a Gompertz curve 

 (Fig. 5): 



LEAr = 210.760e- 199812e 



-0 0303'.4<;£ 



[r 2 =0.883,n = 123] 



where LEN = total length in mm, and 



AGE = number of days (increments) from 

 spawning. 



Evident in the distribution of data presented in 

 Figure 5 is the observation that small white hake 

 (28-77 mm) collected in May-June grew at the same 



Figure 4 



Back-calculated spawning times of juvenile white 

 hake, Urophycis tenuis. Narrow bars indicate single 

 observations. (MAB=mid-Atlantic Bight; GB=Georges 

 Bank; CC=Cape Cod; and GOM=Gulf of Maine.) 



60 90 120 



Estimated age (d) 



Figure 5 



Gompertz growth curve fitted to total length vs. age data 

 for white hake, Urophycis tenuis. 



