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Fishery Bulletin 117(3) 
Table 1 
Fork length (FL), total weight (TW), gonadosomatic index (GSI), potential annual fecundity (PAF), measured as the number of 
developing oocytes or embryos present within the female, and relative fecundity (RF), measured as PAF/TW, of female light dusky 
rockfish (Sebastes variabilis) and northern rockfish (S. polyspinis) collected during cruises conducted in the spring (May) and win¬ 
ter (December) of 2014 at 2 sites in the Gulf of Alaska: 49 Fathom Pinnacle (49 FP) and Snakehead Bank (SHB). The range, mean, 
standard error of the mean (SE), and sample size ( n ) for each parameter are given. 
Species 
Season 
Site 
FL (cm) 
TW (g) 
GSI 
PAF (no. of oocytes 
or embryos) 
RF (oocytes/g 
or embryos/g) 
Light dusky 
Spring 
49 FP 
360-517 
720-2342 
0.002-0.166 
31,510-330,700 
24.7-164 
rockfish 
mean: 456 
mean: 1702 
mean: 0.088 
mean: 190,300 
mean: 106 
(71=100) 
(77 = 100) 
(SE 0.007,77=60) 
(SE 11,450,77=40) 
(SE 5.46,77=40) 
SHB 
273-544 
260-3474 
0.001-0.197 
21,870-665,800 
18.3-216 
mean: 465 
mean: 1,963 
mean: 0.088 
mean: 256,200 
mean: 111 
(72=105) 
(77 = 105) 
(SE 0.008, 77 = 68 ) 
(SE 23,690,77=36) 
(SE 6.97,77=36) 
Winter 
49 FP 
403-497 
1,066-2212 
0.010-0.125 
49,290-455,100 
46.2-273 
mean: 457 
mean: 1619 
mean: 0.041 
mean: 258,237 
mean: 158 
(77 = 138) 
(77 = 138) 
(SE 0.001,77=89) 
(SE 7635,77 = 103) 
(SE 4.08,77=103) 
SHB 
332-525 
636-2418 
0.004-0.043 
107,000-388,800 
79.1-197 
mean: 445 
mean: 1494 
mean: 0.028 
mean: 227,600 
mean: 140 
(77=42) 
(77=42) 
(SE 0.001,77=28) 
(SE 14,4000,77=32) 
(SE 5.14,77=32) 
Northern 
Spring 
49 FP 
345-453 
620-1466 
0.070-0.222 
62,650-212,000 
53.2-176 
rockfish 
mean: 412 
mean: 1162 
mean: 0.140 
mean: 130,700 
mean: 110 
(77 = 127) 
(77=127) 
(SE 0.006,77=38) 
(SE 6118,77=36) 
(SE 4.81,77=36) 
Winter 
49 FP 
270-463 
266-1738 
0.013-0.091 
33,690-346,600 
43.9-251 
mean: 416 
mean: 1183 
mean: 0.059 
mean: 197,100 
mean: 165 
(77 = 157) 
(77=157) 
(SE 0.002,77=128) 
(SE 5347,77=121) 
(SE 4.02,77=121) 
Table 2 
Stages of oocyte and embryo development in ovaries of northern (Sebastes polyspinis ) and light dusky (S. variabilis ) rockfish. These 
stages, based on terminology of Bowers (1992), were used to identify the most advanced development stage present in samples from 
fish collected during May and December 2014 in the Gulf of Alaska. 
Stage 
Physical description 
1. Primary growth 
Oogonia, early perinuclear and late perinuclear ooyctes 
2. Early yolk 
Oocytes contain the earliest signs of yolk accumulation, small spherical globules of yolk in the 
periphery of the oocyte 
3. Advanced yolk 
Oocyte content is at least 50% yolk droplets, nucleus still well defined 
4. Migratory nucleus 
Nucleus migrates to the periphery of the oocyte, nuclear membrane becomes irregular, nucleoli 
disappear 
5. Ovulation 
Yolk material begins to merge and form a single united mass 
6 . Early embryo 
Blastoderm cap present with a large yolk mass 
7. Embryo body 
Embryo body appears, blastoderm cap of cells develops into recognizable tissue 
8 . Eyed embryo 
Retinal pigmentation becomes apparent and is well defined 
9. Embryo-reduced yolk 
Yolk attached to the embryo is reduced in size and may only be present as droplets 
10. Postovulatory follicles 
The follicles that remain after parturition 
Postovulatory follicles are the follicular structure that 
remains after the oocyte or larvae has been extruded 
(Hunter and Macewicz, 1985b). 
Fish maturity status or class was determined by 
examining the most advanced oocyte stage present and 
the amount and types of atresia present. Fish were 
considered mature if there was evidence that they would 
spawn within the current reproductive year or evidence 
that they had spawned in a prior year. Immature fish 
included both those fish that had no oocyte development 
beyond stage 2 and those fish in which development had 
been resorbed (abortive mature). Mature fish included 
fish with incomplete or complete advanced oocyte 
development of stage 3 or higher and fish with 
no advanced development that were skipped spawners 
(Table 3). 
