Roumillat and Brouwer: Reproductive dynamics of Cynosaon nebulosus 



481 



and years for each age class separately (Table 4). There 

 were no significant interannual or monthly variations in 

 mean BF for any of the age classes (age-1: P=0.59, ;; = 62; 

 age-2: P=0.17, n=52; age-3: P=0.07, n=21). However, BF 

 analysis for age-2 fish excluded the month of July because 

 only one two-year-old specimen was captured that month 

 during the study period. We investigated the relationship 

 between BF and total length by using linear regression 

 analysis. After pooling data across years, we found that 

 total length explained 67% of the variability in spotted 

 seatrout BF (Fig. 5A). Batch fecundity showed a similarly 

 strong relationship to female somatic (ovary-free) weight 

 (Fig. 5B) but did not relate to age as strongly (Fig. 5C). 

 The equations below describe these relationships: 



BF= 2179.65ITL) - 520597 

 BF = 530.60IOFWT) + 18537.77 

 BF = 169398. 21( Age) - 30956.33 



(r 2 =0.67) P<0.001 

 (r 2 =0.65) P<0.001 

 (r 2 =0.58) P<0.001. 



Mean MEP was significantly different among months 

 for age-1 spotted seatrout (Kruskal-Wallis, P<0.05). 

 Age-1 fish spawned the least number of oocytes in May 

 and most in June (Table 4). Statistical comparisons 

 among months for ages 2 and 3 were inconclusive. 



Relative fecundity 



Relative fecundity among 83 spotted seatrout ages 

 1-3 ranged from 224 oocytes to 1314 oocytes/g OFWT 

 (Table 5). Age did not have an effect on relative fecun- 

 dity (Kruskal-Wallis, P=0.75). We found that spotted 

 seatrout in South Carolina produced significantly more 

 oocytes per gram ovary-free weight at the end than at 

 the beginning of the spawning season (Mann Whit- 

 ney, P<0.05). Mean oocyte diameters did not vary sig- 

 nificantly between ovarian lobes or among locations 

 within each lobe (ANOVA, P=0.28). A comparison among 



