Size Distributions and Growth of the Fan-shell Pinna bicolor Gmelin (Mollusca : Eulamellibranchia) in South Australia

1979 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
AJ Butler ◽  
FJ Brewster

Fourteen random samples of Pinna bicolor were collected over a period of 31 months from 6 m depth in Gulf St Vincent off Edithburgh, South Australia. The length-frequency distributions suggest that: P. bicolor larvae settle in spring but with variable success; growth of newly settled young is rapid over summer; by age 1 year their modal shell length is about 20 cm; by age 2 it is about 26 cm; they may survive substantially longer than 3 years so that a length-class of mode c. 35 cm is always present and is composed of several age-classes not necessarily equally represented. These suggestions are corroborated by limited data on adductor muscle scars, the development of epibiota on the shells, and the growth and survival of tagged animals over 9 months.

1995 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 657-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Fletcher

Adult pilchard (Sardinops sagax neopilchardus) from southwestern Australia held in fish cages for 1 year showed minimal increase in mean length but a steady increase in mean otolith weight (1.61–1.83 mg); this increase (0.22 mg) closely parallels the previously calculated mean difference between adjacent age classes (0.24 mg). Modes in otolith weight frequency distributions of fishery-caught pilchards, previously suggested as corresponding with separate year classes, generally persisted and progressed through subsequent samples. By contrast, fish length frequency distributions of these samples showed no consistent modal progression. The average weight of otoliths for year classes 2–8 were used to calculate growth rates: following sexual maturity, at age 2, males grew to a significantly smaller maximum size than females (L∞ = 162 and 172 mm respectively). The otolith weight – age relationship, validated by following a cohort of unusually low abundance as it moved through the fishery, indicated that recruitment to the fishery generally began at age 2 but was not complete until age 4. These data have been successfully used in forecasting the catch rate of the fishery up to 2 years in advance and providing an estimate of the rate for natural mortality of 0.43.


2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Fowler ◽  
L. McLeay ◽  
D. A. Short

Adult King George whiting were sampled at 12 localities representing a range of habitat types across South Australia. Sampling was undertaken between March and May for a minimum of 2 years between 1995 and 1998. Fish were aged by otolith interpretation, and reproductive maturity was determined by gonad analysis using macroscopic and histological techniques. In total, 6961 fish comprising 3678 females and 3283 males were considered from four localities in each of three geographic regions. In both Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf, age structures became more complex from north to south, associated with a shift in size towards larger fish. In the simplest age structures, >90% of fish were from the 3-year age class, whereas the age range of the most complex was 3–17 years, with the 3–5 age classes most numerous. Males were more abundant in smaller size classes and females in the larger. Although some fish from each locality showed some gonad development, only at three localities did spawning occur. At these places, populations had the broadest age and size distributions and were in deep water that experienced medium to high wave energy. Since spawning grounds and nursery areas are up to several hundred kilometres apart, the processes of larval advection and adult movement are implicated as obligate processes of the life history.


1983 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 451 ◽  
Author(s):  
TM Berra ◽  
PL Cadwallader

The age and growth of Australian grayling were studied in 1203 individuals collected from the Tambo River, Victoria, between January and November 1979. Scales from 667 grayling were examined. The scale method of age determination was validated by the analysis of seasonal changes in the pattern of scale growth and by correspondence between ages inferred from length-frequency distributions and ages determined by scale readings. One annulus is formed on the scale by October. Most (88%) grayling belonged to the 1+ and 2+ age-classes; fish aged 3+ and 4+ made up 11% of the collection, and fish aged 5+ less than 1%. Size increased from January until May; growth ceased during winter and resumed in September. There was no difference in growth between the sexes. The largest grayling collected was a female of 253 mm fork length (Lf). The overall length-weight relationship was W = 2 715 × 10-6Lf3 2764. The relationship between total length (Lt) and Lf was Lt = 0.93 16 + 1.0742 Lf, and between standard length (Ls) and Lf was Ls = 0.8007 + 0.9095 Lf The overall ratio of males to females was 56 : 44.


1988 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
SA Shepherd

The growth of juvenile H. laevigata was studied by analysis of sequences of length-frequency distributions obtained in below- and above-boulder habitats at West Island, South Australia. The mean growth rate overall is 1.69 mm month-1 and is linear with length for the first 5 years, but thereafter declines with increasing length. The mean growth rate of four groups of marked H. laevigata aged 1 and 3 years is 1.6-2.1 mm month-1, and thus supports the estimation of growth rate from analysis of length-frequency distributions.


1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 272-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. K. Cone ◽  
M. D. B. Burt

The population biology of Urocleidus adspectus parasitizing gills of Perca flavescens in a small New Brunswick lake is described. The parasite has an annual cycle in which worms overwinter as inactive adults. In spring, they lay eggs and many worms die. A short generation time (14 days at 20 °C) allows transmission throughout summer and well into fall. Perch acquire infections during the first few months of life and thereafter annually lose and reacquire infections. The intensity of U. adspectus peaks during July and generally increases with age of the host. Length–frequency distributions of parasites on four host age-classes (1, 2, 3–4, and 5 and older) indicate that they grow larger on larger hosts. Seasonal monitoring of length–frequency distributions revealed that spring growth of overwintering worms and onset of spring invasion commence earlier on mature perch than on immature perch. The results are discussed in relation to our understanding of fish parasite populations in small lakes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (7) ◽  
pp. 2125-2139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja Miethe ◽  
Yves Reecht ◽  
Helen Dobby

Abstract In the absence of abundance indices from scientific surveys or commercial sources, reliable length frequency data from sampled commercial catches can be used to provide an indirect assessment of fishing mortality. Length-based indicators are simple metrics which describe length frequency distributions. The length-based indicator Lmax5%, the mean length of the largest 5% of individuals in the catch, combined with appropriately selected reference points, can be used to evaluate the presence of very large individuals in the catch and hence determine exploitation level. Using analytical per-recruit models, we derive reference points consistent with a spawning potential ratio of 40%. The reference points depend on the life history parameters for natural mortality, maturity, and growth (M, Lmat, L∞, k, CVL∞). Using available simulation tools, we investigate the sensitivity of the reference points to errors in these parameters and explore the usefulness of particular reference points for management purposes for stocks with different life histories. The proposed reference points are robust to uncertainty in length at first capture, Lc, and take into account the maturation schedule of a species. For those stocks with high M/k ratios (>1), Lmax5%, combined with the appropriate reference point, can be used to provide a data-limited stock assessment.


1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 605 ◽  
Author(s):  
CF Chubb ◽  
IC Potter ◽  
CJ Grant ◽  
RCJ Lenanton ◽  
J Wallace

The age structure, growth rates and movements of M. cephalus and A forsteri in the Swan-Avon river system have been investigated using data obtained from beach seining and gill netting carried out between February 1977 and June 1980. Length-frequency data and scale readings show that the populations of both species consist predominantly of 0+ and 1 + fish. From the times when the smallest fry (20-30 mm) were present in the lower part of the river system, and from the condition of the gonads of older fish, the breeding seasons of the sea and yellow-eye mullets have been estimated as extending from March to September and from March to August respectively. The bimodality or polymodality exhibited by the length-frequency distributions for the 0 + year classes suggest that in both species groups of individuals spawn at slightly different times. The range of mean total lengths and weights of animals caught in May near the end of the first year of life was 178-222 mm and 64-119 gin M. cephalus and 136-154 mm and 19-30 g in A. forsteri, which shows that the growth of each of these two species of mullet is relatively very rapid in the Swan-Avon river system. 1 + and 2 + fish tend to leave the estuary for varying periods. Although 0+ fish of both species utilized the shallow banks of the estuary throughout the year. the sea mullet moved further upstream and were not as consistently abundant in the lower estuary. Since 0+ yellow-eye mullet 40-100 mm long were also abundant in marine coastal waters between January and May. and sea mullet of comparable age were rarely observed in these regions, it would appear that M. cephalus is the more estuarine-dependent of the two species. Commercial catches of M. cephalus were greater than those of A. forsteri. This feature can be related in part to the much faster growth rate of M. cephalus, which results in a larger proportion of its youngest year classes reaching the minimum legal size for capture prior to the time when they leave the estuary in large numbers.


1954 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 513 ◽  
Author(s):  
RM Cassie

Methods are described by which the component groups may be extracted from polymodal size frequency samples by the use of probability graph paper. Four examples are given illustrating: the solution of a distribution with more than two modes and with only one exposed flank; the coordination of fish age determinations by the two methods, length frequency analysis and scale reading; a bivariate sample where the two means coincide though the standard deviations are different; a method of correcting for truncation.


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