226 



Fishery Bulletin 90(2), 1992 



Because there was only one individual in each of these 

 three oldest age-groups, these were possibly not good 

 estimates of length for these ages. The parameters and 

 equations are as follows. 



All males: 



K = 0.097 



L^ = 1460.0 



to = 0.015 



Lt = 1460.0 (1-e -0097 (t-0.015)) 



Age-groups 8 and 9 eliminated: 



K = 0.166 



L^ = 1018.0 



to = 0.211 



Lt = 1018.0 (l-e-oi66(t-o.2ii)) 



Age-groups 7, 8, and 9 eliminated: 



K = 0.157 



L^ = 1059.0 



to = 0.196 



Lt = 1059.0 (1-e -0-157(1-0.196)) 



The length-weight relationships (Fig. 11) for 305 

 males and 311 females were: 



Males 



logio W = 2.833 Oogio TL) - 4.347 (r^ 0.95) 



Females 



logio W = 3.001 (logio TL) - 4.770 (r^ 0.98) 



Discussion 



Reproduction 



All female members of the Lophiiformes are thought 

 to expel nonadhesive, mucoid egg rafts or veils with 

 the possible exception of one species of antenariid 

 angler fish (Pietsch and Grobecker 1980). These veils 

 are buoyant and have a complex structure consisting 

 of individual chambers, which each contain one to three 

 eggs and an opening providing water circulation 

 (Fulton 1898, Gill 1905, Rasquin 1958, Ray 1961). This 

 method of egg production appears to be unique among 

 the fishes. 



The goosefishes, Lophitcs spp., have the most spec- 

 tacular egg veils because of their large size. The egg 

 veil of L. americanus can reach 6-12 m in length and 

 0.15-1. 5m in width (Martin and Drewry 1978). Several 

 authors have provided detailed description of the egg 

 veils of L. americanus (e.g., Agassiz and Whitman 

 1885, Connolly 1920, Dahlgren 1928) and L. pisca- 

 torius (Fulton 1898, Bowman 1919). 



Estimates of fecundity presented by other authors 

 are similar to those obtained in this study. Eaton et al. 

 (1954) estimated 543,000 ova in the ovary of a 660 mm 

 specimen. The regression of fecundity on TL presented 

 here predicts 563,000 ova for a female of this size. 

 Other estimates of fecundity range from 432,000 to 

 2,670,000 eggs, based on the examination of veils 

 released from females of unknown size (Baird 1871, 

 Nichols and Breder 1927, Berril 1929). 



Female goosefish matured at a larger size and at a 

 greater age (487mm, age 4) than males (369mm, age 

 3). This is a common trend among teleosts (Moyle and 

 Cech 1982). In the case of goosefish, the female re- 

 quires a larger body size to accommodate the large egg 

 veil. Connolly (1920) was unable to determine size-at- 

 maturity because of small sample size, but he stated 

 that a goosefish 18 inches (457 mm) long (unstated sex) 

 was immature, and all individuals over 31 inches 

 (787mm) were mature. McBride and Brown (1980), in 

 a tabular summary of life-history parameters for 

 several demersal fish species, present the age-at- 

 maturity for L. americanus as 4 and 5 years for males 

 and females, respectively. The source of their data is 

 not stated. Martin and Drewry (1978) and several 

 others also suggest that the age of maturity is 4 and 

 5 years for males and females. They state the source 

 of this information as Connolly (1920). A review of Con- 

 nolly's paper shows that he was quoting a publication 

 by Fulton (1903), which deals with the growth of L. 

 ■piscatorius, not L. americanus. At the time of Con- 

 nolly's paper, the two species were considered synon- 

 ymous. L. piscatorius is known to reach a larger max- 

 imum size and is larger at each age (based on data 

 presented in the following age and growth discussion). 

 The age-at-maturity cannot be considered the same 



