Arkhipkin et al.: Distribution, stock structure, and growth of Berryteuthis magister 



19 



number of November-hatched squid increased three 

 times for females and twice for males. Almost all fall- 

 hatched females (240-290 mm ML, 350-380 d) were 

 mature and had already mated. Fall-hatched males 

 were 205-238 mm ML (352-385 d). 



Analysis of coefficients of similarity (CS) (Table 4) 

 revealed considerable differences in stock structures 

 of B. magister observed in different months in 

 Olyutorsky Bay. However, high values of CS (more 

 than 70%) were noted (in both sexes) between the 

 samples taken in June from Olyutorsky Bay (OB) 

 and from the Navarin-Olyutorsky region (NOR); be- 

 tween OB in August and NOR in July; and between 

 OB in September and NOR in July, October, and Sep- 

 tember. The CS's between the samples taken in dif- 

 ferent months within the NOR were generally low. 

 However, there was a high resemblance of the stock 

 structure for both sexes between July and August: 

 for females between the first and the second half of 

 October and for males between September and the 

 first half of October. Samples taken in July and Sep- 



tember to the first half of October also showed a high 

 CS in males (Table 4). 



Growth and maturation 



Statolith growth Statoliths of early juveniles ( 24-32 

 mm ML) were unusually large; their total length ( STL) 

 ranged from 0.9 to 1.35 mm (3.8-4.2% ML, respectively). 

 During ontogenesis, they grew rather slowly and by 

 age 450^470 d increased 2.5-3 times in length. In both 

 sexes, statolith growth was best fitted by a power func- 

 tion and did not reveal sexual dimorphism (Fig. 11, A 

 and B). Allometric growth of the total statolith length 

 (STL) versus mantle length (ML) was negative with a 

 high value of allometric coefficient (>0.38) (Fig. 11, C 

 and D; Table 5). STL allometric growth rates were 

 higher in males than in females, resulting in larger 

 sizes for male statoliths among the same-size animals. 



Squid growth Length-at age data assigned for each 

 hatching month demonstrated that B. magister be- 



