Variation in the Condition Factors of California Pelagic Fishes and Associated Environmental Factors

Abstract

Time series of condition factors for mackerel, Scomber japonicus, jack mackerel, Truchurus symmetricus, and northern anchovy, Engraulis mordax, stocks in the Southern California region were compared with time series of oceanographic indices to develop hypotheses concerning physical environmental forcing of the population dynamics and energetics of small pelagic fishes. Mackerel and jack mackerel condition factor time series showed decade‐scale variation, whereas those of anchovy showed coherent fluctuations f…