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Temporal and Spatial Differences in Life History Parameters of Black Sea Bass in the Southeastern United States
Author(s) -
McGovern John C.,
Collins Mark R.,
Pashuk Oleg,
Meister H. Scott
Publication year - 2002
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(2002)022<1151:tasdil>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - fishery , fishing , geography , sexual maturity , black sea , otolith , biology , fish <actinopterygii> , oceanography , ecology , geology
During 1978–1998, 80,558 black sea bass Centropristis striata were caught with blackfish and chevron traps off eastern Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina at depths ranging from 9 to 55 m. Black sea bass were found to live for at least 10 years, but most were ages 1–5. There were latitudinal differences in the size at age, significantly larger size at age occurring in the southern segment (31°20′N to 32°40′N) than in the northern segment (32°41′N to 34°00′N). Males were found in all size‐classes and age‐classes and were most frequently encountered at sizes greater than 220 mm standard length (SL) and greater than age 4 in the southern segment and at sizes greater than 240 mm SL and greater than age 5 in the northern segment. Sexual transition and maturity of females occurred at smaller sizes and younger ages in the southern segment than in the northern segment. Probit analysis indicated that between 1978–1982 and 1987–1998 the size at 50% maturity ( L 50 ) for females fell from 137 to 108 mm SL in the southern segment and from 145 to 115 mm SL in the northern segment. The L 50 could not be determined for fish caught during 1983–1986 because very few immature individuals were collected. Slight increases in the mean length and catch per unit effort, as well as a decrease in fishing mortality during the 1990s, suggested that the condition of the black sea bass stock had improved, probably due to management actions.