flounder contributed the least to the overall percent composition of 

 impinged fish because a very large number of bay anchovy was taken 

 during the suiraner of 1983, In general, the monthly pattern of 

 impingement was similar to the other years. 



The length-frequency distribution of impinged winter flounder has 

 varied to some extent over the past 7 years (Table 18) , The greatest 



Table IR. Annual mean length and percent length-frequency distribution by 5-cm size Intervals of winter tloui 



Impinged at MNPS Units 1 and 2 from October 1976 through September 1983. 



X length-frequency 

 10 10-U 15-19 20-24 25-29 > 29 



change seen in 1982-83 was that small (less than 15 cm) winter flounder 

 made up 52% of the total, the largest percentage since 1978-79. 

 Mid-size fish (15-24 cm) comprised only 22%, the smallest proportion 

 found to date. The large number of small fish was probably indicative 

 of a large year-class of winter flounder produced in 1982 with perhaps 

 changes in other conditions such as weather or level of plant operations 

 that may have increased their impingement . 



The sex and reproductive condition of 1,675 specimens impinged from 

 December through April were recorded; 65% were males and 35% were 

 females. This ratio was the opposite of that seen for the spawning 

 population in the Niantic River. Of the 375 females examined that were 

 larger than 25 cm, 69% were gravid and 31% were spent or had not yet 

 come into spawning condition. This was contrary to the data obtained 

 from the trawl monitoring program during the same period which showed 

 relatively few ripe females outside the Niantic River. Their occurrence 

 at MNPS may have been related, in part, to behavior. The environmental 

 cues used by winter flounder to successfully return to the Niantic River 

 from distant areas for spawning are not known. Beverton and Holt (1957) 

 noted that current direction is an Important guiding factor in oriented 



49 



