Hunter et al : Fecundity, spawning, and maturity of Microstomus paaficus 



103 



each trawl haul were measured (total length) to the 

 nearest millimeter, sexed, and their gonads classified; 

 some females immediately after capture were also in- 

 dividually weighed to the nearest gram and their 

 ovaries preserved in 10% neutral buffered formalin. 

 Females selected for ovarian preservation were either 

 taken randomly from the trawl catch or selected by 

 length according to a quota for each of three length 

 classes (<275mm, 275-424 mm, and > 425 mm) (see 

 Table 1). The preserved ovaries were used to validate 

 our shipboard classification of ovaries, to estimate 

 fecundity, and to provide material for histological 

 descriptions. 



Gross aneitomical classification of ovaries 



Ovaries that were examined onboard the ship were 

 assigned to one of three classes: no yolked oocytes 

 present; yolked oocytes present; and translucent 

 hydrated oocytes present. Ovaries with hydrated 

 oocytes or other yolked oocytes were considered to be 

 in the active state, while those ovaries in which 

 observers saw no yolked oocytes were considered to 

 be in the inactive state. This simple system based on 

 gross anatomical examination of the ovary is more 

 germane for biomass estimation work than are the 

 more complicated systems which involve many more 

 reproductive stages: for example, the seven-stage scale 

 of Hjort (1910), or the five-stage scale of Hagerman 



