Table 6, --Sex ratio of Atlantic menhaden in 

 purse seine catches, by season and area, 

 1962 



Weight Composition 



The weight-frequency distributions (in per- 

 centage) of fish in purse seine catch samples, 

 by area, are shown in figure 6 (see also 

 appendix tables 6-10). Weights of fish ranged 

 widely in all areas except the South Atlantic 

 Area, where two age groups constituted over 

 99 percent of the catch. 



Mean Lenghts and Weights 



The mean lengths and mean weights of fish 

 for the 7-year period, 1955-61, and for 1962 

 are summarized in tables 7 and 8; the mean 

 lengths and weights of each age group in the 

 1962 catches are given, by sex, in appendix 

 tables 11-15. 



Except for the South Atlantic Area, the mean 

 lengths and mean weights of the combined 

 age groups in 1962 were greater than those 



Table 7. — Mean fork length (am.) of Atlantic menhaden in purse seine catches, 1962, 

 and mean of the mean lengths, 1955-61, by age, season, area, and year 



10 

 5 



.- 10 



z 



UJ 

 Ul 



S^ 



>- 



^ 5 



O " 



Ul 



Ik 3 





 5 



I r 



N = 3778 



N = 6436 



N = 2909 



N = 488 



1 1 \ \ 1 \ 



SOUTH ATLANTIC AREA 



CHESAPEAKE BAY AREA 



MIDDLE ATLANTIC AREA 



NORTH ATLANTIC AREA 



NORTH CAROLINA FALL FISHERY 



1 — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — \ — I — I — f I — r 



100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 



BODY WEIGHT (G.) 



Figure 6. — Weight composition of Atlantic menhaden in samples from purse seine catches, 1962. 



12 



