480 



Fishery Bulletin 94(3). 1996 



our results are somewhat different. On average, our 

 fish were two to four centimeters (depending on sex 

 and species) shorter at maturity. Our results for kelp 

 bass are very similar to those reported by Collyer 

 and Young ( 1953). Clark also speculated from only a 

 few fish that barred sand bass matured at about the 

 same length as kelp bass. 



Kelp bass and barred sand bass matured over an 

 almost identical size and age range. In both species, 

 sexual maturity was reached at a young age and 

 small size, particularly when compared to many of 

 the other large reef species in California. In the east- 

 ern Pacific Ocean, kelp and barred sand bass are the 

 most northerly occurring Serranidae, which are typi- 

 cally tropical. In general, tropical fishes tend to ma- 

 ture at a fairly young age and these two subtropical- 

 warm temperate species follow this pattern. The dif- 

 ferences between these basses and some other co- 

 occurring species, for instance the many rockfishes 

 (Scorpaenidae) that share habitats with the two 

 basses, is particularly pronounced. Rockfishes are 

 typically cold-temperate species and tend to mature 

 when older and larger, relative to maximum body 

 length. For instance, olive rockfish iSebastes 

 serranoides), which superficially resembles kelp bass 

 and co-occurs with it in the northern part of the south- 

 ern California Bight, matures between 29 and 39 cm 

 and between 3 and 8 years (Love and Westphal, 1981). 



Conversely, the two species exhibit a typically tem- 

 perate-fish growth pattern (Beverton, 1986); a rela- 

 tively slow growth rate and fairly long life span. Re- 

 search on a sympatric congener, the spotted sand 

 bass, P. maculatofasciatus, implies that not all 

 Paralabrax exhibit this pattern (Allen et al., 1995). 

 Spotted sand bass inhabit backwaters from south- 

 ern California into the Gulf of California and, com- 

 pared with kelp bass and barred sand bass, exhibit a 

 typically tropical-species pattern, with a faster 

 growth rate and short (about 12 years) life span. 



One possible explanation is that growth rate is 

 more plastic in response to environmental conditions 

 than is reproduction. This would lead to fishes grow- 

 ing more slowly, because of colder conditions in the 

 southern California Bight, but conserving their tropi- 

 cally-derived reproductive schedule. 



Acknowledgments 



The research on kelp bass and barred sand bass age 

 and growth, age and length at first maturity, and 

 recreational fisheries was supported by Federal Aid 

 for Sport Fish Restoration Program and the National 

 Biological Service, contract number 1445-CA-0995- 

 0386. Recruitment studies were funded through a 



grant from the Southern California Edison Company. 

 Dan Pondella supplied data on abundance of kelp 

 bass and barred sand bass recruits. 



Larry Allen provided many of the specimens for 

 this study and both he and Chuck Valle critically 

 reviewed drafts of the manuscript. We would like to 

 thank the crew of the RV Yellow fin, Jim Cvitanovich, 

 Paul Irving, and Danny Warren, for their good-hu- 

 mored assistance. Michael Franklin, Tom Grothues, 

 Tim Hovey, Ron Klaver, Loretta Roberson, Bob Scott, 

 and Carrie Wolfe collected, prepared, and analyzed 

 many of the fish. 



Literature cited 



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