Fishery bulletin of the Fish and Wildlife Service - NOAA

180 FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
the rates computed from the S group must be near the usual rate, probably within
10 percent.
Discussion of growth.—Having determined the rate of growth of the mackerel
through its early life, it would be interesting to have comparisons of the early growth
of other fishes, particularly to see if logarithmic growth is the general rule. Unfortunately,
there is a paucity of data on this subject, most of the material on growth of
fishes being confined to the portion of life following the larval or post-larval stages.
From various sources, however, it has been possible to assemble material on the early
growth of three other species: the herring (Clupea harengm) in the Clyde Sea area,
the haddock (Melanogrammus aeglifinus) in the waters off the northeast coast of the
United States, and the northern pike (Esox lucius) of North American fresh waters.
10
10 20 30 40
ASE, DAYS
50 во 70 во
PlODEE 9.—Growth of ргв-metamorphosis herring on the Clyde Sea area, after Marshall, Nicholls, and Orr, plotted logarithmically
(upper part) and arithmetically (lower part).
Since the data on these need to be formalized for comparison with the mackerel, each
will be presented in turn.
For pre-metamorphosis herring caught by tow net and sprat trawl in the Clyde
Sea area in 1934 and 1935, Marshall, Nicholls, and Orr (1937, pp. 248-51) determined
the median lengths at successive intervals of time. Plotting the median values
against age, they concluded that "The points do not he on a straight line but it is
obvious that, apart from four points, a straight line expresses the relationship best."
Their curve is reproduced in the lower part of figure 9, and the four exceptional points
thought by them not to have represented the main shoals are indicated by question
marks. When the same data are plotted logarithmically, as in the upper part of figure