本文以Bhattacharya多型量解析法,配合年齡判讀結果所建立的Age-length key,分析漁獲物的體長組成,來推算1981~1983年臺灣近海產花腹鯖的年齡結構。台灣近海花腹鯖的年齡組成隨季節及漁場而改變。臺灣東北部澎佳嶼~釣魚台海域的花腹鯖,在漁獲盛期的秋冬季,以1(上标 +)至3(上标 +)歲魚爲主,漁獲淡季的春夏期間,2(上标 +)至4(上标 +)歲魚較多。臺灣西南部東沙群島附近海域產者,則以3(上标 +)及4(上标 +)歲魚爲主(漁期僅於春季)。除高齡魚外,Bhattacharya多型量頻度解析法在年齡組成解析的應用上,具有相當的可靠性。
The age structure of spotted mackerel,Scomber australasicus Cuvier & Valenciennes,in the coastal waters of Taiwan in 1981~1983 was estimated from length frequencydistribution using Bhattacharya's polymodal analysis.The age composition of spottedmackerel varied with area and season.In the waters off Pengchiahsu and Fishing Islandsnortheastern Taiwan,the mackerels were consisted of 1(superscript +)to 3(superscript +)year old fish during thegood fishing seasons(autumn and winter),and 2(superscript +)and 4(superscript +)year old fish during the poorfishing seasons(spring and summer).In the waters off northern Pratas Islands southwesternTaiwan,the mackerels consisted of 2(superscript +)to 5(superscript +)year old fish in spring,but dominant with3(superscript +)and 4(superscript +)year old fish.Except for the old fish,the mean length and proportion ofmixture of age groups estimated both from polymodal length-frequency analysis as wellas from scale reading was corresponding each other.Therefore,Bhattacharya's polymodalanalysis was considered to be a reliable method for estimating age composition of thespotted mackerel.