TABLE 6. --Sex ratio of Atlantic menhaden in purse 

 seine catches, by area and season, 1959 



The curves for the South Atlantic, Chesa- 

 peake Bay, and Middle Atlantic Areas were 

 similar in that they were either unimodal or 

 bimodal and positively skewed. The greater 

 range in weights in the Middle Atlantic Area 

 resulted from thepresenceof older age groups, 

 in the North Atlantic Area and North Carolina 

 fall fishery, the curves were similar and 

 encompassed a wide range of weights, with no 

 suggestion of a clear-cut mode. 



Average Length and Weight 



The mean lengths and weights of fish at each 

 age, by sex, in the 1959 catches are shown in 

 appendix tables 11-15. The mean lengths and 

 weights for the past 5 years are summarized 

 in tables 7 and 8. 



BODY WEIGHT (C.) 



Figure 6. --Weight composition of samples of Atlantic menhaden from purse seine catches, 1959, 



13 



