Sampling

Abstract

During t h e period October 1 - December 31, 1975, Department personnel made 176 sampling t r i p s aboard southern C a l i f o r n i a partyboats. A t o t a l of 25,721 f i s h from 77 s p e c i e s was i d e n t i f i e d and measured. O t o l i t h s were removed from 1,767 r o c k f i s h c a r c a s s e s representing 30 s p e c i e s f o r use i n age determination. Sampling personnel tagged and released 192 C a l i f o r n i a barra-cuda , Sphyraena argentea; 2 white seabass, Cynoscion nobilis; and 29 sablef i s h , Anoplopoma fimbria. The LO most common species sampled during t h i s period represented 84% of t h e t o t a l number of f i s h measured. These were, i n order of importance; bocaccio, Sebastes paucispinis; P a c i f i c bonito, Sarda ehiliensis; c h i l i p e p p e r , Sebastes goodei; o l i v e rockfish, Sehastes serranoides; vermili.on r o c k f i s h , Sebastes miniatus, white croaker, Genyonernus lineatas; b l u e rocl,fish, Ssbastes mystinus; greenspotted r o c k f i s h , Sebastes chlorostictus; s c u l p i n , Scorpaena guttata; and P a c i f i c xnackerel, Scombar japonicus. Bocaccio alone accounted f o r 44% of t h e sampled catch.