NOTE Matthews: Movement behavior of Ophiodon elongatus off Vahcouver Island 



787 



Figure 2 



Positions of Ophiodon elongatus fish no. 7 (66.2 em male) cap- 

 tured from site C, moved 1km south to release site R, and 

 monitored 12-25 April. S = stationary. 



2.8km displacement 



04 15 



C H-17 15 until 4/27 



V. 



S-06 00-0715 & S-18 30-01 00 



r^^ Maximum 60 hours to return 



'■ R S-22 30-04 00 



Valdes Island 



Figure 3 



Positions of Ophiodon ekmgatus fish no. 9 (64.0cm male) cap- 

 tured from site C, moved 2.8km south to release site R, and 

 monitored 19-27 April. S = stationary, L = temporarily lost. 



signals became quite strong, suggesting homing lingcod 

 were traversing areas without much rock relief. Ling- 

 cod encountered the deepest water (35 m) when cross- 

 ing open areas. The four lingcod returned to their 

 original capture sites where they remained until the 

 transmitter batteries died or the tracking project was 

 completed. 



The first displaced fish (no. 7, a 66.2cm male) was 

 caught on 12 April in 10 m of water, moved 1km south, 

 and released in 18 m of water (Fig. 2). Because this was 

 the first release and I did not know what movement 

 to expect, I stayed directly over the fish from release 

 time (16:40) until 20:30. However, no movement was 

 detected. When I returned the following morning 

 (07:30), the fish had moved about halfway (500m, Fig. 

 2) back to the capture site. I stayed with the fish from 

 07:30 to 16:30, but no additional movement was 

 detected. When tracking resumed the following mor- 

 ning (07:00), the fish was back at the original capture 

 site where it remained for 12 d (until 25 April) when 

 the battery apparently died. This fish moved at least 

 1km, the displacement distance, in ~40h. Because all 

 homeward movement of the fish apparently occurred 

 at night, the remaining displaced fish were tracked at 

 night. 



Fish no. 9 (64.0cm male) was captured on 19 April 

 in 12m of water, tagged and moved 2.8km south, and 

 released into water 18 m deep (Fig. 3). It was stationary 

 from release at 22:30 until 04:00 when it moved in a 

 northerly direction for 2h and stopped. Tracking was 

 terminated at 07:15; when it reconvened at 18:30, the 

 fish was in the same location. At 01:00 it moved to the 

 northwest and the northeast until 04:30 when its signal 

 was lost. Tracking was terminated at 08:30, and when 



2 8km displacement 



04 47 05 30 

 L ^-^ C 



05 45 until 4/27 



S-06 00-07 00 & S-16 30-03 10 



v--^^ 



Maximum 35 hours to return 



^ R S-22 30 -01 00 

 Valdes Island ^^^ 



Figure 4 



Positions of Ophiodon elongatus fish no. 10 (64.5 cm male) cap- 

 tured from site C, moved 2.8 km south to release site R, and 

 monitored 23-27 April. S = stationary, L = temporarily lost 

 (04:47-05:30). 



it resumed at 17:15 the fish was back at the capture 

 site. I assumed that the fish homed between 04:30 

 (when the signal was lost) and daybreak because all 

 other lingcod movement occurred at night. It remained 

 at the capture site for 7 days until tracking ended on 

 27 April. The 2.8km return trip was completed in less 

 than 60 h. 



Fish no. 10 (64.5cm male) was captured in 10 m of 

 water, tagged and displaced 2.8km south, and released 

 in water 18 m deep (Fig. 4). The fish was stationary for 

 2.5 h after release (22:30-01:00) and moved sporadically 

 from 01:00 to 06:00. The fish was stationary from 06:00 

 to 07:00 when tracking ended. When tracking 



