GROWTH AND CONDITION IN THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC HARP SEAL

We analysed the relationship of length to age in a sample of 204 harp seals collected in 1976-1979 and of 437 animals collected in 1988-1992 , by fitting asymptotic growth curves. The only significant variations were in asymptotic length, which for 1988-1992 was significantly larg er for males (170.4 cm) than for females (165.3 cm). This sexual dimor phism was not significant in 1976-1979, because the fitted asymptotic length of females varied greatly from year to year, being large in the 1976-1979 samples. An index of body condition (total weight/length(2. 6)) and a volume index constructed by regressing body weight on length X axillary girth squared indicated that harp seals collected in 1988- 1992 were in poorer condition than animals collected during 1976-1979. Although this suggests a decline in available resources, the possibil ity of differences arising from sampling bias cannot be excluded.