400 
Fishery Bulletin 115(3) 
Table 2 
Length at maturity ( L 50 ) and slope (b) determined by the logistic model for female Argentine hake ( Merluccius 
hubbsi ) from the Patagonian stock. Samples were collected during research surveys conducted off Argentina 
during the spawning peak (January) and resting period (August) of this stock, 2005-2013. For surveys con- 
ducted in January, coefficients of the models were estimated on the basis of the following 2 interpretations 
of the maturity cycle: 1) the traditional interpretation, in which females in the resting stage were classified 
as mature, and 2) the revised interpretation, in which females in the resting stage were considered to be 
functionally immature. Lengths were measured as total length in centimeters. Standard errors of the means 
are given in parentheses. n=sample size. TI, traditional interpretation; RI, revised interpretation. 
Year 
Month 
L 50 (cm TL) 
TI 
b 
TI 
L 50 (cm TL) 
RI 
b 
RI 
n 
2005 
January 
33.88 (1.32) 
0.82 (0.032) 
35.72 (0.99) 
0.32 (0.009) 
6783 
2006 
January 
33.44 (1.59) 
0.70 (0.033) 
35.55 (1.28) 
0.25 (0.008) 
3984 
2007 
January 
32.69 (2.18) 
0.77 (0.051) 
34.57 (1.34) 
0.16 (0.005) 
5582 
2008 
January 
34.53 (1.38) 
0.62 (0.025) 
38.01 (0.99) 
0.22 (0.006) 
6988 
2009 
January 
34.26 (1.53) 
0.92 (0.041) 
37.37 (0.99) 
0.27 (0.007) 
7900 
2010 
January 
33.19 (1.29) 
1.01 (0.039) 
36.37 (0.87) 
0.21 (0.005) 
3437 
2011 
January 
32.22 (1.23) 
0.63 (0.024) 
35.84 (0.92) 
0.23 (0.006) 
6377 
2012 
January 
33.04 (1.20) 
0.87 (0.031) 
35.34 (0.81) 
0.29 (0.006) 
9501 
2013 
January 
33.13 (0.80) 
0.79 (0.019) 
36.48 (0.61) 
0.26 (0.004) 
14136 
2005 
August 
34.45 (1.58) 
0.64 (0.029) 
3228 
2007 
August 
34.51 (1.81) 
0.83 (0.043) 
4371 
2011 
August 
32.39 (1.38) 
0.91 (0.038) 
5577 
2012 
August 
34.26 (1.77) 
0.92 (0.047) 
3030 
2013 
August 
33.35 (1.32) 
0.91 (0.035) 
7392 
Table 3 
Age at maturity (A 50 ) and slope (6) determined with the logistic model for female Argen- 
tine hake ( Merluccius hubbsi ) from the Patagonian stock collected during research surveys 
conducted off Argentina during January for the years 2005-2013. Coefficients of the models 
were estimated according to the following 2 interpretations: 1) the traditional interpreta- 
tion, in which females in the resting stage were classified as mature, and 2) the revised 
interpretation, in which females in the resting stage were considered to be functionally 
immature. Standard errors of the means are given in parentheses. n=sample size. TI, tra- 
ditional interpretation; RI, revised interpretation. 
Year 
A 50 (years) 
TI 
b 
TI 
A 50 (years) 
RI 
b 
RI 
n 
2005 
2.40 (0.11) 
4.62 (0.22) 
2.74 (0.12) 
2.57 (0.11) 
2300 
2006 
2.36 (0.11) 
4.74 (0.22) 
2.86 (0.12) 
1.99 (0.08) 
2516 
2007 
2.32 (0.16) 
5.80 (0.44) 
3.16 (0.16) 
1.07 (0.05) 
1961 
2008 
2.48 (0.14) 
4.69 (0.28) 
3.36 (0.14) 
1.32 (0.06) 
1924 
2009 
2.50 (0.12) 
5.60 (0.29) 
2.95 (0.14) 
2.40 (0.12) 
1908 
2010 
2.43 (0.12) 
5.34 (0.26) 
2.84 (0.15) 
1.49 (0.07) 
2027 
2011 
2.34 (0.14) 
3.96 (0.27) 
2.79 (0.12) 
1.87 (0.08) 
1953 
2012 
2.51 (0.09) 
5.02 (0.18) 
2.77 (0.11) 
2.81 (0.10) 
3414 
2013 
2.47 (0.08) 
4.95 (0.17) 
2.87 (0.10) 
2.21(0.08) 
3339 
pretation ranged between 2.32 and 2.50 years, while 
those estimated with the revised criterion increased to 
2.74-3.36 years (Table 3). 
The length-based maturity ogives estimated with 
data from January (spawning peak) and by using the 
traditional interpretation were significantly different 
(P<0.05) from those estimated by using data from Au- 
gust (resting period) of the same year, except for 2013 
(P>0.05); in general, the L 50 coefficients were slightly 
higher in August, but the slopes were similar (P>0.05) 
between months (Table 2, Fig. 2). When we compared 
the length-based maturity ogives estimated with data 
