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Seasonal Utilization and Movement of Black Sea Bass on a South Carolina Artificial Reef
Author(s) -
Low R. A.,
Waltz C. W.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8675(1991)011<0131:suamob>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - fishery , reef , artificial reef , bass (fish) , geography , oceanography , environmental science , biology , geology
The principal objectives of this study were to estimate the average standing stock and utilization rate of black sea bass Centropristis striata on a heavily fished artificial reef. Secondary objectives were to define age and size compositions of the reef and hard‐bottom populations of black sea bass and evaluate movements of the fish on reef and hard‐bottom habitats. Fish of legal size (>20 cm long) were tagged and released at Capers Reef off Charleston, South Carolina, and at four hard‐bottom areas within 10 km of the artificial reef. The total numbers offish tagged and released were 636 at the reef and 615 on hard bottom. A single‐census Petersen estimate of the initial winter standing stock of legal‐sized black sea bass on Capers Reef was 3,227 fish. The estimated utilization rate for the 6‐month study period was 36%. All fish recaptured at the artificial reef had been released there. Twenty‐five fish from the hard‐bottom release groups were recaptured, only two of which had moved from the release point. These were the only hard‐bottom fish recaptured by the public and had moved an average of 20 km. Average time at large for all recaptured fish was 46 d. During January–March 1988, 74% of the black sea bass taken from the reef and 31% from hard bottom were ages 1 and 2. Remaining fish were ages 3 and 4. Mean lengths and length distributions offish from all areas were similar, but mean lengths at age varied. Nearly all of the legal‐sized black sea bass caught during the summer were ages 2 and 3.