it was less than one-half that furnished 

 by the 1955 year class at the sanne age 

 in 1955. Older year classes (fish of 

 ages 3-10) contributed only one -half 

 as many fish to the catch in 1957 

 (0.3 billion) as those at comparable 

 ages in the previous Z years (0.6 

 billion). 



The percentage age composition 

 (based on numbers of fish) of the 

 summer catches in the different areas 

 and of the fall catch in North Carolina 

 waters is shown in figure 5. Tables 

 4 and 5 furnish comparative data for 

 the years 1955-57. 



In the South Atlantic Area, age -2 

 fish (I955 year class) furnished over 

 two-thirds of the summer catch, and 

 age-1 fish (1956 year class) accounted 

 for most of the remainder. The con- 

 tribution by age-1 fish in 1957 was 

 only about one -tenth that of the pre- 

 vious year class at the same age in 

 1956, and for the first tinne in the past 



111 



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CI 23456789 



AGE 



1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 I94S 1948 

 YEAR CLASS 



Figure 5.- -Age composition of purse-seine catches, 1957. 



3 years, age -2 fish formed the largest 

 share of the catch in the area. Age-0 

 fish (1957 year class) also were repre- 

 sented in the catch in greater number 

 in 1957. 



The number of age-1 fish (1956 

 year class) in the Chesapeake Bay 

 catch was nearly three times that in 

 the previous year, and almost five 

 times that in 1955. This age group 

 accounted for over four -fifths of the 

 1957 catch, and age-2 fish (1955 year 

 class) accounted for nnost of the re- 

 mainder. As in the previous 2 years, 

 fish of older ages contributed little or 

 nothing to the Bay fishery. 



The Middle Atlantic catch was 

 dominated by age-2 fish (1955 year 

 class), although age-1 fish (1956 year 

 class) accounted for nearly one -quarter 

 of the calculated number of individuals. 

 This was the largest representation of 

 age-1 fish in the catch in this area in 

 recent years. Age-1 fish did not appear 

 in the Middle Atlantic catches until 

 June, but their numbers gradually in- 

 creased thereafter and reached a peak 

 in September when they accounted for 

 over one -half the catch (table 6). Older 

 age groups were presented in the area 

 early in the season, but as the summer 

 progressed, their numbers in the 

 catches diminished. Older fish, how- 

 ever, provided the greatest share of the 

 catch in October when they were en- 

 countered in large schools off southern 

 Long Island. 



For the first year on record, fish 

 of age 2 also dominated the catch in 

 the North Atlantic Area in 1957, and 

 this also was the first year that age-1 

 fish appeared in the catches in this 

 area. Fish of ages 3 and 4 (1954 and 

 1953 year classes) were about equally 

 represented in the catch as were those 

 of ages 5 and 6 (1952 and 1951 year 

 classes). As in the previous four sum- 

 mers, older fish were encountered in 

 greatest numbers in this area. 



In the North Carolina fall fishery, 

 fish of age (1957 year class) ac- 

 counted for nearly three -fourths of 

 the nunnber of fish caught in 1957. 

 Most of the remainder was furnished 



