172 



Fishery Bulletin 94(1). 1996 



more discernible rings, were polished with 1,200-grit 

 paper and surface viewed at magnifications ranging 

 from 500 to l,000x by two readers. The 500x magni- 

 fication was subsequently chosen as appropriate for 

 these otoliths. 



A Gompertz growth model was fitted to the daily 

 increment data and the Y intercept taken as an esti- 

 mate of the time of formation of the lapilli. Spawn- 

 ing dates were estimated for each individual by sub- 

 tracting the increment count from the date of capture. 



Results 



A total of 123 juvenile white hake were available from 

 seven sampling programs (Table 1). Fish ranged in 

 size from 28 to 187 mm TL, and in age from 40 to 

 146 days. A hyaline check was found on the sagittal 

 otoliths offish collected from inshore estuarine loca- 

 tions. The check was on the edge of the otoliths of 

 the juveniles collected from Woods Hole, Massachu- 

 setts, in July 1992. These fish were 70-104 mm TL 

 and 59-73 days old. 



Juvenile white hake distribution varied by size and 

 age. The smallest fish were collected in very deep 

 water (> 100 m) offshore in the mid-Atlantic Bight in 

 May and still had pelagic countershading, whereas 

 the largest fish were collected in shallow waters off 

 Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, in September. 

 Smaller fish were generally caught earlier in the year 

 (May) (Fig. 2) and farther south (mid-Atlantic Bight, 

 Georges Bank), whereas larger individuals were 

 taken later in the year (July-September) from loca- 

 tions farther north (Cape Cod, Gulf of Maine). 

 Younger fish were collected only from May to July, 

 whereas older fish were collected only from August 

 to September (Fig. 3). 



During July-August 1992, juvenile hake of two size 

 classes were collected. Smaller individuals (40 to 57 



12 



a 



4 





 ^ 12 



1 







May (MAB) 



lll.l 



n 1 1 1 i r 



Jun (GB) 



Jul (CC/GOM) 



ill.... 



Aug (GOM) 



l ■■■!-■■ - 



Sep (CC) 



. !■■■ 



Illlllll 



20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 



Length (mm) 

 Figure 2 



Size distribution of juvenile white hake, Urophycis tenuis. 

 by month of collection. ( MAB = mid-Atlantic Bight; 

 GB=Georges Bank; CC=Cape Cod; and GOM=Gulf of Maine. I 



mm TL) were collected off New Hampshire and south- 

 western Maine (Biddeford Pool) and larger individu- 

 als (86 to 186 mm TL) were taken from locations off 

 eastern Maine. Only one small fish (41 mm) was 

 taken off eastern Maine during this period. 



