116 
Fishery Bulletin 99(1) 
Table 5 
Yellowfin sole ( Limanda aspera ) length-fecundity coefficients for nonlinear least-squares fit using equation F = aL b , where F = 
fecundity and L = fish length (cm). MOD = mean oocyte diameter of advanced yolked oocytes. SE = standard error of estimate. 
Confidence intervals (Cl) indicate approximate 95% bounds for predicted values of the mean (SAS Institute, 1989). 
Fecundity type 
a 
Constants 
b 
n 
r 2 
Fecundity estimate 
for 35-cm female 
(Value ±95% Cl) 
Estimate 
SE 
Estimate 
SE 
Total 
MOD > 0.38-0.44 mm 7 
3.322 
2.909 
3.631 
0.243 
148 
0.60 
1,343,807 ±64,406 
MOD < 0.38 mm 
4.947 
5.564 
3.550 
0.311 
80 
0.64 
1,496,401 ±105,108 
All data (MOD <0.44 mm) 
2.988 
2.074 
3.672 
0.192 
248 
0.62 
1,397,492 ±56,054 
Batch 
1.648 
3.138 
3.188 
0.528 
75 
0.32 
137,862 ±17,111 
1 Ovaries with mean AY through MN oocyte diameters >0.38 mm and <0.44 mm were considered the most appropriate for use in estimating total 
fecundity. 
4 5 
4 0 - -L— MOD 0 38 - 0 44 mm 
-X-- MOD < 0 38 mm 
3 5 - O MOD > 0 44 mm 
0.0 -I 1 1 ' r— — ' p » 1 • 1 ' 1 1 > 1 > 1 < r ' 1 
24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 
Total length (cm) 
Figure 5 
Total fecundity as a function total length (cm). Data for yellowfin sole 
(Limanda aspera) ovaries with mean AY diameters (MOD) 0.38 mm 
to 0.44 mm (n=148) were compared with ovaries with MOD <0.38 mm 
(n=80), ovaries with MOD >0.44 mm (n=20), and ovaries with residual 
chorion material present (n=7 ). Yellowfin sole ovaries with MOD 0.38 mm 
to 0.44 mm were considered most appropriate for use in total fecundity. 
Curves indicate predicated values from nonlinear regression. MOD = 
mean oocyte diameter of AY through MN oocytes. 
221) but different intercepts (F=6.77; P=0.01; 
df =1, 222). We also tested whether the inclu- 
sion of ovaries with mean oocyte diameters 
>0.44 mm would have a significant effect on 
the fish-length-fecundity relationship (Table 
6). When ovaries with mean oocyte diameters 
>0.44 mm were included, estimates of total fe- 
cundity at length were significantly reduced. 
No such effect was apparent when the data 
were limited to ovaries with mean oocyte di- 
ameters <0.44 mm (Table 6). 
Total fecundity as a function of fish length 
for yellowfin sole was estimated as 
F = 3.3225 x TL 3 6312 , 
where F = standing stock of AYs; and 
TL - total fish length in centimeters 
(Table 5). 
Total fecundity ranged from 295,615 oocytes 
in a 29-cm-TL fish to 3,635,108 oocytes in a 
39-cm-TL fish (Fig. 6). 
Batch fecundity 
Batch fecundity was estimated for 75 females 
and ranged from 2,400 to 408,000 oocytes and 
larger fish generally had larger batches (Figs. 
6 and 7). The number of oocytes in the first 
batch was in most cases lower than in succeed- 
ing batches, although the variability of the first batch for 
a given fish length was quite high (Fig. 7). Twenty-five 
of the fish examined contained ovaries with unovulated 
hydrated (HY) oocytes and no evidence of prior batch 
spawnings, thus representing the first batch. Three fish 
contained ovaries with only one hydrated batch remaining 
(no AYs left), thus representing the last batch. The remain- 
ing “middle batch” fish (n= 47) possessed ovaries contain- 
ing unovulated hydrated oocytes and POFs, indicating 
that at least one batch had been previously spawned. 
Batch fecundity, irrespective of batch order, is described 
in terms of fish length by 
B = 1.6481 x TL 3 1879 , 
