

>- 



O 



15 

 10 



5 







5 





 10 



51- 



1 1 1 1 1 — 



SOUTH ATLANTIC 



AREA 

 N = 9334 



^^^^^^^^^^ 



CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA 

 N = 19003 



T — r 



AGE-0 DIlAGE-2 

 AGE-1 rm AGE-3 

 cvlAGE-4 AND OLDER 



MIDDLE ATLANTIC AREA 

 N = 33198 







10 



5 





 10 



5 



NORTH ATLANTIC AREA 

 N = 14921 



NORTH CAROLINA FALL FISHERY 

 N = 2491 



FORK LENGTH (MM.) 



Figure 4. — Length composition of Atlantic menhaden in samples from purse seine catches, 1962. 



Area, the composite frequency distribution 

 curve was relatively symmetrical and uni- 

 modal. Lenghts ranged from 172 to 357 mm. 

 with a mode at 277 mm. 



The composite frequency curve of fish 

 caught in the North Atlantic Area was sym- 

 metrical and unimodal; lengths ranged from 

 252 to 342 nnm. Although age-4 fish dominated 

 the catch, they generally were smaller than the 

 age-4 fish in previous years. Fish younger 

 than age 4 were less plentiful than in any 

 previous year, but generally were larger. 



The composite frequency curve of fish 

 caught in the North Carolina fall fishery 

 ranged from 102 to 347 mm.; age-0 and 

 age-1 fish accounted for the portion between 

 102 and 167 mm., and age-1 to age-7 fish 

 accounted for the portion between 227 and 347 

 mm . 



As in previous years, females generally were 

 larger than males. The greater differences 

 occurred among the older, larger fish (fig. 5). 



Sex ratios were nearly equal {table 6), with 

 about the same variation as in past years. 



10 



