Table 1 Whiting otolith sampling details.

From: Otolith chemoscape analysis in whiting links fishing grounds to nursery areas

Sampling time

Number of otoliths sampled

Cohort, age

Sex ratio (M:F)

Contribution to analysis

October 2014

140 (134)

2014, Age-0

77:63

Constructing and CV of continuous modelled element surface Oct. 2014

March 2015

159 (155)

2014, Age-1

139:20

Continuous-surface assignment of age-0 origin at Oct. 2014

  1. Number of otoliths sampled shows the total number sampled and, in brackets the number included in the final analysis. Samples were removed from the analysis that did not have ablation pits corresponding to the correct sample times. The skewed sex ratio (1:1 would have been expected) reported here in the age-1 whiting caught in March 2015 may result from this ontogenetic distribution change. Males often mature at an earlier age and so may also be more likely to move offshore to adult areas. Here, to allow valid within cohort comparisons of otolith chemistry, we targeted age-1 fish, which may result in the observed difference.