Occurrence of an exceptional catch of pelagic juvenile lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) off Point Reyes, California

An exceptionally large catch of pelagic juvenile lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) was made just offshore of Point Reyes, California in 1990. Results of 678 midwater trawls from annual surveys from 1983 to 1990 show that pelagic juvenile lingcod have a strong nearshore distribution and were most abundant in the Gulf of the Farallones, with a mean abundance of 5.0 per trawl. Otoliths from fish taken in the large catch were used to estimate parameters of a log-transformed Gompertz growth model, which was then used to calculate hatch dates. Hatching peaked around 24 March and ranged from 10 March to 19 April, implying a January-February spawning season for lingcod off central California. The large catch was associated with an anticyc-lonic eddy which would lead to water being trapped near the coast; convergence of fish associated with the eddy may have been due to either physical or biological effects.