u 



Z 



3 



o 



012345678 AGE 



1962 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 YEAR CLASS 



Figure 3. — Age composition of Atlantic menhaden in 

 samples from purse seine catches, 1962. 



In the South Atlantic Area, age-1 and -2 fish 

 again furnished the largest number of fish 

 (547.9 million) and the largest percentage (99) 

 of the catch. As in most of the previous years 

 on record, age 1 were the most abundant age 

 group in the catch, but the percentage (54) 

 was smaller than usual. 



In the Chesapeake Bay Area, the catch 

 contained fish of ages to 5. Age-4 fish 

 (1958 year class) contributed 34.7 millionfish, 

 or over 5 percent of the catch, the first year 

 on record that this age group contributed more 

 than a fraction of 1 percent in this area. 

 Age 3 contributed 32.3 million fish, or nearly 

 5 percent of the catch, also a large contribu- 

 tion for this age group. Age 1 furnished only 

 207.3 million fish (30.1 percent), the smallest 

 number of fish and the smallest percentage of 

 the catch for this age group in any year on 

 record, except 1960. Age-0 fish furnished 42,4 

 million fish (6.2 percent), nearly 30 million 



more than in the previous record year, 1955. 

 The total number of fish (683 million) declined 

 for the third consecutive year and was the 

 smallest in the 8-year period. 



Although fish of ages 1 to 9 contributed to 

 the catch in the Middle Atlantic Area, age 4 

 furnished the greatest number of fish (318,3 

 million) and the largest percentage of the 

 catch (42.1). This was the largest share of the 

 catch contributed by this age group from 1955- 

 62. By contrast, age 2 provided the smallest 

 number of fish (214.4 million) and the smallest 

 percentage of the catch (28.4) for any year 

 on record except 1961. Fish older than age 4 

 were relatively unimportant, contributing only 

 35.5 million fish, or 4.7 percent of the catch. 

 The total number of fish caught (755 million) 

 declined for the third consecutive year and 

 was less than in any year from 1955-62. 



The catch in the North Atlantic Area, com- 

 prising fish of ages 2 to 8, also was dominated 

 by age-4 fish, which furnished the largest 

 number of fish (85.3 million) and the largest 

 percentage of the catch (64) since 1955. Fish 

 older than age 4 numbered 23.1 million (17.2 

 percent of the catch), slightly more than in 

 recent years. Age-3 and age-2 fish, however, 

 contributed the smallest number of fish (25.8 

 million) and the smallest percentage of the 

 catch (19,3) since 1955, The total catch num- 

 bered 134 million, the smallest in any year on 

 record except 1958, 



Fish of ages to 7 were found in the catch 

 from the North Carolina fall fishery; age 4 

 furnished 22.1 million fish, or 36 percent, 

 the largest percentage of the catch by this age 

 group in 8 years. The number of fish of all 

 ages, however, was only 61 million, or 65 

 percent, less than the smallest number landed 

 during 1956-62. 



Length Composition 



The length-frequency distributions (percent- 

 ages) of fish in samples from purse seine 

 catches are shown by age and area in figure 4 

 (see also appendix tables 1-5). The composite 

 frequency curves and the numbers represent 

 all of the individuals in the samples. The fre- 

 quency curves for the different age groups 

 are based on only the 20 fish of each sample 

 which were aged. 



The lengths of fish caught in the South At- 

 lantic Area ranged from 97 to 247 mm,, and 

 the frequency distribution was unimodal and 

 symmetrical. 



Because of unusually large numbers of older 

 fish in the catches, lengths in the Chesapeake 

 Bay Area ranged from 117 to 312 mm., some- 

 what greater than in previous years, and the 

 frequency curve was relatively flat; three 

 poorly defined peaks at 142, 202, and 257 mm. 

 represented ages 0, 1, and 2, respectively. 



Although more age groups than usual were 

 present in catches from the Middle Atlantic 



