800 
Fishery Bulletin 96(4), 1 998 
Results 
Histological examination of 2606 sexually mature gag 
(size range=5 17-1275 mm TL) taken during 18 Janu- 
ary through 18 April 1995 revealed that there were 
significantly (% 2 =66.852; P <0.001) fewer males (5.5%) 
along the southeast coast of the United States than 
during 1976-82 ( 19.6%; Tables 2 and 3). There were 
no significant differences in the percentage of males 
captured in 1995 off North Carolina, South Carolina, 
Georgia, and southern Florida (/ 2 =4.926; P> 0.05; 
Table 4). However, the percentage of males taken in 
northern Florida (14.9%) was significantly greater 
than in all other regions combined (/ 2 =133.160; 
P<0.001). Four collections accounted for over 35% of 
the males that were collected in northern Florida. 
The size range of gag captured during 1994 and 
1995 was similar to those caught from 1976 to 1982; 
however, there were some differences in size between 
periods for both sexes (Tables 3 and 5). Larger ma- 
ture female gag were collected in 1994-95, although 
the mean lengths for the two periods were similar 
(1976-82: x TL=831 mm, SD=92; 1994-95: x TL = 
832 mm, SD=82). The smallest mature female was 
Table 2 
Sex ratio of gag, Mycteroperca microlepis, (M=Male; F=Female; T=Transitional) taken during various studies in the northeast 
Gulf of Mexico and southeastern United States between 1976 and 1995. Sex ratios based on sexually mature individuals. 
Study 
Dates 
Area 
No. of M 
% M 
No. ofF 
% F 
No. of T 
% T 
This study 
1976-1982 
SE Atlantic 
104 
19.6 
419 
78.9 
8 
1.5 
Hood and Schlieder (1992) 
1977-1980 
NE Gulf of Mexico 
125 
15.6 
659 
82.5 
15 
1.9 
Coleman et al. (1996) 
1992 
NE Gulf of Mexico 
9 
1.9 
457 
97.3 
3 
0.6 
This study 
18 Jan-18 April 1995 7 
SE Atlantic 
143 
5.5 
2468 
94.4 
2 
0.1 
This study 
1994-1995 
SE Atlantic 
256 
6.4 
3720 
92.7 
39 
0.9 
' Period of emergency rule when fishermen were required to land all gag with gonads intact. 
Table 3 
Number of sexually mature gag, Mycteroperca microlepis , collected by 
when fishermen were required to land all gag with intact gonads (TL 
size class during 1976- 
=total length). Trans = 
-82 and 18 January to 18 April 1995 
transitional specimens. 
Size 
(mm TL) 
1976-1982 
1995 
Female 
Male 
Trans 
Female Male 
Trans 
450-499 






500-549 
2 
— 
— 
2 
— 
— 
550-599 
1 
— 
— 
12 
— 
— 
600-649 
10 
— 
— 
19 
— 
— 
650-699 
14 
— 
— 
79 
— 
— 
700-749 
31 
— 
— 
171 
— 
— 
750-799 
64 
1 
2 
437 
— 
800-849 
94 
1 
1 
709 
— 
1 
850-899 
79 
1 
2 
580 
5 
1 
900-949 
42 
4 
1 
271 
3 
— 
950-999 
7 
13 
1 
99 
26 
— 
1000-1049 
13 
14 
— 
48 
48 
— 
1050-10°9 
5 
27 
— 
27 
36 
— 
1100-1149 
— 
14 
— 
6 
13 
— 
1150-1199 
— 
2 
— 
1 
7 
— 
1200-1249 
— 
1 
— 
— 
5 
— 
1250-1299 
No length 
47 
25 
1 
7 
— 
— 
Total 
419 
104 
8 
2468 
143 
2 
Percent 
78.9 
19.6 
1.5 
94.4 
5.5 
0.1 
