Tables of regression values for converting between total, fork, and standard lengths are provided for 41 species of fish from 15 families using preserved and fresh specimens of fish. A table is also included for converting between body length and total length for Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasii. (17pp.

Karpov, Konstantin A.

Kwiecien, Gerald S.

English

Aquatic Commons

State of California 
The Resources Agency 
DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GANE 
Conversions Between Total, Fork, and Standard Lengths for 41 
Species in 15 Families of Fish from California Using 
Preserved and Fresh Specimens 
Konstantin A. Karpov 
and 
Gerald S. Kwiecien 
MARINE RESOURCES 
Administrative Report No. 88-9 
Conversions Between Total, Fork, and Standard Lengths for 41 
Species in 15 Families of Fish from California Using 
Preserved and Fresh Specimens 1/ 
Konstantin A. Karpov 2J 
and 
Gerald S. Kwiecien 2/ 
ABSTRACT 
Tables of regression values for converting between total, fork, 
and.standard lengths are provided for 41 species of fish from 15 
families using preserved and fresh specimens of fish. A table is 
also included for converting between body length and total length 
for Pacific herring, Clupea harensus ~allasii. 
IJ Marine Resources Administrative Report No 88-9. 
2J Marine Resources Division, 19160 So. Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg, 
CA 95437 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
We wish to thank, John Mello, Paul Reilly, and Gail Roper 
for assisting in collecting and measuring specimens. I also wish 
to thank Eric Anderson and Tomio Iwamoto for providing generous 
access to the fish collection at California Academy of Sciences. 
Recent analysis of Marine Recreational ~isheries statistics 
Survey (MRFSS) data collected between 1979 and 1984 has revealed 
a systematic sampling error consisting of measuring fork lengths 
rather than the required total lengths for most species collected 
in San Francisco and adjacent counties (Karpov 1988a-e; Karpov 
and Kwiecien 1987a-b; Karpov and Kwiecien 1988a-h; Karpov et. al. 
1987a-c; Karpov et. al. 1988). The measurement method used in 
MRFSS outlined by Holliday, et. al. (1984a-b, 1985, 1986 and 
1987) is incorrectly described as fork lengths for all species 
with forked tails. The actual measurements used in California s 
MRFSS are total lengths except for species with rigid tuna-like 
caudal fins, where fork lengths are used (Karpov 1986; Karpov 
1987a-j; Karpov 1988a-e; Karpov and Kwiecien 1987a-b; Karpov and 
Kwiecien 1988a-h; Karpov et al. 1987a-c; Karpov et al. 1988). To 
convert the San Francisco area fork lengths to total lengths, 
fork length to total length regressions had to be generated for 
41 species currently not reported in the literature. 
Measurements were made of fresh or preserved specimens. 
Fresh specimens were obtained from creel sampled catches or from 
directed field collections. These were collected from Halfmoon 
Bay through Cape Mendocino, California, during 1986-87. Preserved 
specimens were measured from California Academy of Sciences in 
San Francisco, California. These were primarily collected between 
Monterey and Sonoma counties. However, some of the specimens were 
collected as far south as Baja California, and as far north as 
British Columbia. Preserved fish had been collected from 1894 
through 1982. Only specimens with intact fin membranes were used 
in this study. All preserved fish examined were being 
maintained in an aqueous solution of 70% ethanol. 
Measurements were taken on a meter board in millimeters. 
Samples were selected in an attempt to cover the size ranges 
encountered in the'MRFSS analysis. Up to four different types of 
length measurements were recorded .pn 2depending on species. The 
measurements selected were total length, fork length, standard 
length, and for some Pacific herring, body length. Total length 
was measured from the most anterior tip of the longest jaw to the 
most posterior part of the tail when the caudal rays are 
sqeezed together. Fork length was measured from the anterior tip 
of the longest jaw to the median point of the caudal fin (Holt . 
1959). Standard length was measured from the anterior tip of the 
upper jaw to the posterior end of the vertebral column (Hubbs and 
Lagler 1970); and body length was measured from the tip of the 
snout to the end of the pigment underlying the last row of 
scales on the caudal peduncle (Spratt 1981). 
Linear regressions were run on all permutations of length 
measurements using a microcomputer and the ABSTAT statistical 
package. Statistics reports were the same as those used by 
Echeverria and Lenarz (1984); these included for each species the 
y-intercept (a), slope (B), standard error of the estimate 
(Sy*x), correlation coefficient (r), range in length, and the 
sample size used in the regression (n) (Tables 1-4). 
Caution needs to be exercised by applying these regressions 
only to the size ranges covered. In addition, the assumption was 
made that shrinkage due to preservation technique had a 
proportional affect on the various measurements taken and did not 
affect the regressions involved. 
n n  n n o .  
m a  ul E S %  Z Z  Sl2 g m a -  s a s  ul h r 
- ?  % e a  " t N  .9 N t  a?N-! '? ‘og 
K ; ;  log u l m “  o - o m e a  2 k 6  3 %  U - N N  
TABLE 1. (Continued) 
Standard Fork length as a funct ion Standard length as a funct ion 
length (mn.1 of  standard lenqth o f  fo rk  length 
n r Min. Max. a B S a B S yf x P x  Species by fami ly  
Sci eaenidae 
*** Genyonewus 1 ineatus 
Roncedor s tearns i i  
G i re l l i dae  
G i re l la  nigr icens 
~Embiotocidae 
*** Anphist ichus argentew 
*** A. koelzi  
' *** A, rhodoterus 
Brachyistius frenatus 
*** Cymatogaster aggregate 
, *** Damalichthys vacca 
*** Embiotoca iacksoni 
*?* - E. l a t e r a l i s  
HyberDrosopon & 
*** H, argenteun 
H; e l l i p t i c u n  
Hypsurus caryi 
, Micrometrus aurora 
t; * M. min ims 
" Phanerodon at r ipes 
*** P. furcatus 
*** Rhacochilus toxotes 
Pleuronectidae 
** Parophrys vetulus 
Preserved specimens only. 
** Fresh specimens onty. 
*** Both fresh and preserved specimens. 
I m  n h  n h a  a m  n u 5 3 ;  x q  Pr!? ? y o  y 7y1 o - n  ~7 o -  - n ~ y ~  q o ~ y  C I 
a 4 
5 = ' m  
E 5 
f t  g g g  g; g $  i$ c s s  ? ? ? 4 s  9 g: . ?  
0 0  0 0 0  0 - 0  0 -  0 0  0 0 0 0  0 0 0 0  
TABLE 2. (Continued) 
Fork Total length as a funct ion Fork length as a funct ion 
length (mnl of  fo rk  length o f  t o t a l  Length 
Species by f ami 1 y n r Min. Max. a B S a B 
v+x =v+x 
Scieaenidae 
*** Genyonemus l ineatus 
Roncador s tearns i i  
G i re l l i dae  
G i r e l l a  n i ~ r i c a n s  
Embiotocidae 
*** Alrphistichus argentew 
*+* A. koelzi  
*** A, rhodoterus 
Brachyistius frenatus 
*** Cymatogester a~qrega ta  
*** Oamalichthys vacce 
4 
*** Embiotoca jacksoni 
*** E, l a t e r a l i s  
Hmrprosopon & 
,*** H, argenteun 
H, e l l i p t i c u n  
* HypSurus ceryi 
Micrometrus aurora 
M. minimus 
Phanerodon a t r i m s  
*** P. furcatus 
*** Rhacochilus toxotes 
Pleuronectidae 
** Paraphrys vetulus 
Preserved specimens only. 
** Fresh specimens only. 
*** Both fresh and preserved specimens. 
TABLE 3. Results o f  Linear Regressions o f '  Total Length Versus Standard Length For A l l  Species Sampled. 
Tota l  Standard length as a funct ion Total length as a funct ion 
lenqth (mnl of  t o t a l  length o f  standard length 
Species by fami ly  n r Min. Max. a B a B S ~ x  SVfx 
Clupeidee 
** Cl-a harengus p a l l a s i i  65 
S a r d i m s  9 
Engraulididae 
Ensreulis mrdex 30 
Salmonidae 
S a l m  c l a r k i i  14 
S, gairdneri  i 30 
Osrner i dae 
*** H m u s  pret iosus 20 
Spirinchus s te rks i  10 
U, 
S, thaleichthvs 10 
Gedidae 
macrocephalus 8 
Theragra chalcogramne 6 
Atherinidae 
A t h e r i m  a f f i n i s  30 
*** A t h e r i n m i s  c a l i f o r n i e n s i s  30 
Scorpaenidae 
** Sebastolobvs a l t i v e l i s  46 
Hexagrmidee 
H e x a ~ r m s  decagrarrm~~ 17 
H, superci 1 i o s w  9 
** Ophiodon elongetus 25 
Anoplopanstidae 
** A m l a w m a  f i n b r i a  25 
Cottidas 
L W ~ O C O ~ ~ U S  armatus 10 
Serranidae 
Paralabrax - l i f e r  . 13 
*** Roccus s a x a t i l i s  35 


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Conversions between total, fork, and standard lengths for 41 species in 15 families of fish from California using preserved and fresh specimens

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Conversions between total, fork, and standard lengths for 41 species in 15 families of fish from California using preserved and fresh specimens

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