604 
Fishery Bulletin 95(3), 1 997 
stages 4, 5, and 6 was not significant (Fig. 2), but 
there was a similar decline in CF in fish between 50 
and 60 cm in length (Fig. 3A). Condition factor of 
immature males (0.854) was not significantly differ- 
ent (Ctest; df=56, P>0.05) from that for mature males 
(0.822); however, the regression fit of the relation- 
ship (df=55, F=4680, P=<0.001, r 2 =0.31) shows that 
CF increased with length for small fish, reached a 
peak at 34.5 cm, and declined in larger fish (Fig. 3B). 
Hepatosomatic index varied significantly among 
female maturity groups (single-factor ANOVA; df=5, 
F= 59.0, P<0.001) and was significantly greater in 
both the late vitellogenesis stage (2.281) and migra- 
tory nucleus stage (2.921). In general, HSI increased 
