301 



DISTRIBUTION AND GENERAL NOTES ON THE SPECIES 

 However, the distribution of exceptionally rich hauls of M. hubbsi clearly indicated the possibility 

 of seasonal migrations similar to those of M. merluccius, and eventually it was found that this could 

 be shown with some certainty when relative abundance and size differences were considered in 

 relation to distance from the mainland coast. It was necessary further to restrict the data to be con- 

 sidered, so as to follow the changes within limited areas (the northern and intermediate regions con- 

 sidered separately), for it is well known that such movements may take place at different times in 

 different parts of the range of a widely distributed species. 



In the northern region, three series of observations at different seasons seem together to give 

 reasonably good evidence of shoreward movement in summer, and will now be described in some 



detail. 



In October-November there are data from nine stations that can be arranged according to their 

 distance from the coast, and which were completed within a reasonably narrow interval of time 

 (see Table i8). 



Table i8. Merluccius hubbsi captures betzveen 15 October and 3 November 1931 in the northern 



region, with their distance from the coast 



Consideration of the lengths of the females, together with the distance intervals, seemed to justify 

 a further lumping of these data, to the form shown in Table 19. 



Table 19. Summary of October-November data bearing on hake movements in the northern region 



From these two tables it seems fairly clear that at this time of the year the hake were mamly con- 

 centrated more than 100 miles from the coast. A shoreward movement may have begun. (St. WS771, 

 the richest of this series, was the innermost of the three between 100 and 200 miles offshore.) The 

 length data do not help here; one would not expect the smaller females to head the advance, and m 

 fact the size distribution might well be indicative of a prolongation of winter conditions. The offshore 

 males were too few for the size difference to be considered significant for that sex. However, the sex 

 ratios suggest the beginnings of concentration shoreward, and it is possible that bigger females catch 

 up and pass the smaller ones later. (There is considerable diffuse evidence that the speed and extent 

 of migratory movement is a function of size of fish.) 



