Rapid growth of wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) in the Coral Sea, based on length-at-age estimates using annual and daily increments on sagittal otoliths

Abstract Zischke, M. T., Griffiths, S. P., and Tibbetts, I. R. 2013. Rapid growth of wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) in the Coral Sea, based on length-at-age estimates using annual and daily increments on sagittal otoliths. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 1128–1139. The wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) is an economically important species incidentally caught in oceanic fisheries targeting tuna and coastal fisheries targeting mackerels. The age and growth of wahoo was examined using whole and sectioned otoliths from 395 fish (790–1770 mm LF) sampled from the Coral Sea. Growth increments were more reliably assigned on whole otoliths than sectioned otoliths. Edge analyses revealed that growth increments were deposited annually, primarily between October and February. Furthermore, analysis of presumed daily microincrements showed that ∼90% of fish had deposited the first “annual” growth increment by the 365th day, thereby indirectly validating annual increment formation. Wahoo were aged at between 108 d and 7 years, with 76% of fish being <2-year old. The specialized von Bertalanffy growth function provided the best fit to length-at-age data, with parameter estimates (sexes combined) of L∞ = 1499 mm LF, K = 1.58 year−1, and t0 = −0.17 years. The growth performance index for wahoo in the Coral Sea (φ′ = 4.55) was one of the highest of all pelagic fish, with their growth and maximum size most similar to dolphinfish. This study suggests that wahoo are one of the fastest growing teleosts and provides growth parameter estimates that may facilitate future stock assessments and guide fisheries management.

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Age and growth of the narrow-barred Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson Lacepede, 1880) in North-eastern Queensland waters

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf9921269 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 43 (5) ◽

pp. 1269 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

GR McPherson

Keyword(s):

Growth Parameters ◽

Age And Growth ◽

Differential Growth ◽

Daily Growth ◽

Spanish Mackerel ◽

Growth Increments ◽

Scomberomorus Commerson ◽

North Eastern ◽

Marginal Increment ◽

Age Estimates

Whole otoliths were used to age Scomberomorus commerson in tropical Australian waters. Age estimates were validated by marginal-increment analysis of the first three otolith annuli. Confirmation of age estimates was provided by otolith daily growth increments and tag returns of known age. Differential growth in length, weight and longevity was evident between the sexes. The oldest male was 10 years old (127 cm FL, 19.0 kg). The oldest female was 14 years old (155 cm FL, 35 kg). The von Bertalanffy growth parameters L∞ and K were 127.5 cm and 0.25 for males and 155.0 cm and 0.17 for females.

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Black Bass Diversity: Multidisciplinary Science for Conservation

Black Bass Diversity: Multidisciplinary Science for Conservation ◽

10.47886/9781934874400.ch15 ◽

2015 ◽

Keyword(s):

Growth Rates ◽

Growth Parameter ◽

Population Characteristics ◽

Age And Growth ◽

Minimum Length ◽

Parameter Estimates ◽

Black Bass ◽

Annual Total ◽

The Mean ◽

Flint River

Abstract.—The largest native population of Shoal Bass Micropterus cataractae inhabits the Flint River, Georgia and remains relatively unstudied. We examined demographic characteristics of the population in the lower Flint River that is bounded by reservoirs during 2009–2011. We anchor tagged 741 Shoal Bass to evaluate the percentage of caught fish that were harvested. Shoal bass (n = 187) were sacrificed for age and growth analysis. Ages of sampled fish ranged from age 1 to 11. Von Bertalanffy growth parameter estimates were L∞ = 564 mm, K = 0.312, and t0 = –0.089. Male and female growth rates were similar, with the mean Shoal Bass requiring 2.4 years to reach 305 mm and 5.1 years to reach 457 mm. Growth rates of Shoal Bass were greater than those of previously studied populations and Largemouth Bass M. salmoides in the Flint River and an impoundment bounding the upper end of the study site. Annual total pooled mortality was 49%. Forty-one percent of caught Shoal Bass were harvested by anglers (range 31–60%). Our results suggest that with current population characteristics, an increase in the minimum length limit would not increase yield to the recreational fishery.

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Age and growth of the Pacific grenadier (Coryphaenoides acrolepis) with age estimate validation using an improved radiometric ageing technique

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f99-054 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 56 (8) ◽

pp. 1339-1350 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Allen H Andrews ◽

Gregor M Cailliet ◽

Kenneth H Coale

Keyword(s):

Information Age ◽

Growth Increment ◽

Age And Growth ◽

Fishing Pressure ◽

Large Fish ◽

Growth Increments ◽

The Pacific ◽

Annual Periodicity ◽

Radiometric Ages ◽

Age Estimates

Current and historic longevity estimates for the Pacific grenadier (Coryphaenoides acrolepis) range from 6 to greater than 60 years. Age estimates in this study using growth increment counts in thin otolith sections indicate the Pacific grenadier is a long-lived fish. To validate this growth information, age was determined using the radioactive disequilibria of 210Pb and 226Ra in otolith cores from adult Pacific grenadier. Radiometric ages closely agreed with age estimates from counting growth increments, which confirms their annual periodicity. Radiometric results indicate the Pacific grenadier can live at least 55.8 years (-7.4, +10.1 years). Growth increment counts from large fish indicate longevity may approach 73 years. Because the Pacific grenadier is long-lived and matures late in life, it may be vulnerable to heavy fishing pressure. Therefore, conservation measures need to be taken to sustain this rapidly developing fishery.

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Age and growth of longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol) in tropical and temperate waters of the central Indo-Pacific

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1093/icesjms/fsp223 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 67 (1) ◽

pp. 125-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Shane P. Griffiths ◽

Gary C. Fry ◽

Fiona J. Manson ◽

Dong C. Lou

Keyword(s):

Growth Models ◽

Fork Length ◽

Information Criterion ◽

Growth Increment ◽

Annual Growth ◽

Age And Growth ◽

Parameter Estimates ◽

Growth Increments ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Longtail Tuna

Abstract Griffiths, S. P., Fry, G. C., Manson, F. J., and Lou, D. C. 2010. Age and growth of longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol) in tropical and temperate waters of the central Indo-Pacific. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 125–134. Age and growth of longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol) were assessed by examination of annual growth increments in sectioned sagittal otoliths from 461 fish (238–1250 mm fork length, LF) sampled from tropical and temperate waters in the central Indo-Pacific between February 2003 and April 2005. Edge and microincrement analyses (presumed daily increments) suggest that longtail tuna deposit a single annual growth increment mainly between August and October. Age was, therefore, estimated for all fish by counting assumed annual growth increments. Ages ranged from 154 d to 18.7 years, with most fish being 3–9 years. Five growth models were fitted to length-at-age data, all of which indicated that the species is relatively slow-growing and long-lived. Recaptures of two tagged fish at liberty for 6.2 and 10.5 years support this notion. A bias-corrected form of Akaike's Information Criterion determined that the Schnute–Richards model provided the best fit to length-at-age data, with model parameter estimates (sexes combined) of L∞ = 135.4 cm LF, K = 22.3 year−1, t0 = 0.120 years, δ = 150.0, v = 0.019, and γ = 2.7 × 10−8. There was no significant difference in growth between sexes. The results suggest that longtail tuna grow more slowly and live longer than other tuna species of similar size. Coupled with their restricted neritic distribution, longtail tuna may be vulnerable to overexploitation by fisheries, and caution needs to be exercised in managing the species until more reliable biological and catch data are collected to assess the status of the population.

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Growth of the Pacific pomfret, Brama japonica: a comparison between otolith and length–frequency (MULTIFAN) analysis

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f95-863 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 52 (12) ◽

pp. 2747-2756 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Keith A. Bigelow ◽

Juble T. Jones ◽

Gerard T. DiNardo

Keyword(s):

Fork Length ◽

Growth Parameter ◽

Age And Growth ◽

Parameter Estimates ◽

Cohort Model ◽

Length Frequency ◽

Spawning Period ◽

Frequency Distributions ◽

The North ◽

The Pacific

Age and growth of the Pacific pomfret, Brama japonica, were independently estimated with presumed daily increments within otolith microstructure and MULTIFAN analysis of length–frequency distributions obtained from drift net fisheries. Likelihood ratio tests detected significant differences between sexes and geographic areas in von Bertalanffy parameter estimates from otolith analysis. Otolith interpretations indicated that the species is short lived (age 3+), fast growing (growth coefficient (K) > 1.1), and fully recruited to the North Pacific squid drift net fishery at < 1 yr old. Back-calculated hatching dates indicate a protracted spawning period. MULTIFAN models fit the length–frequency data with an assumption of both annual and biannual recruitment. Growth parameter estimates were asymptotic fork length (FL∞) = 49.9 cm, K = 0.57 for an annual cohort model, and FL∞ = 49.4 cm, K = 1.0 for a biannual cohort model. The growth model derived from otolith increment counts is closer to the MULTIFAN model that assumes biannual length–frequency modes, rather than annual modes.

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Comparison of daily- and annual- increment counts in otoliths of bigeye (Thunnus obesus), yellowfin (T. albacares), southern bluefin (T. maccoyii) and albacore (T. alalunga) tuna

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1093/icesjms/fst093 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 70 (7) ◽

pp. 1439-1450 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Ashley J. Williams ◽

Bruno M. Leroy ◽

Simon J. Nicol ◽

Jessica H. Farley ◽

Naomi P. Clear ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bluefin Tuna ◽

Yellowfin Tuna ◽

Older Age ◽

Annual Increment ◽

Daily Increments ◽

Thunnus Obesus ◽

Southern Bluefin Tuna ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Age Estimates ◽

Ageing Methods

Abstract Williams, A. J., Leroy, B. M., Nicol, S. J., Farley, J. H., Clear, N. P., Krusic-Golub, K., and Davies, C. R. Comparison of daily- and annual-increment counts in otoliths of bigeye (Thunnus obesus), yellowfin (T. albacares), southern bluefin (T. maccoyii) and albacore (T. alalunga) tuna. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: . Information on the age of individuals is often required for models assessing the status of stocks. Techniques used to estimate age of tuna have varied across species and agencies, precluding meta-analyses of age and growth. We compared age estimates obtained from commonly used ageing techniques for four important tuna species: bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, southern bluefin tuna, and albacore tuna. Estimates of age from counts of annual increments in transverse-sectioned otoliths were generally higher than those from counts of daily increments in transverse and longitudinal sections for all species, particularly for fish older than two years. However, annual counts produced younger estimates, on average, relative to daily counts for bigeye and yellowfin tuna younger than one year. Estimates derived from daily increments in longitudinal and transverse sections were generally similar, although longitudinal sections produced relatively older age estimates for individuals older than two years. A linear or non-linear increase in the magnitude of differences between ageing methods was the best-approximating model in all cases except when comparing daily-increment counts between transverse and longitudinal otolith sections for southern bluefin tuna. These observations are consistent with a narrowing of daily increments with increasing age, resulting in underestimates of age relative to those derived from annual increments. We conclude that (i) daily increments are unsuitable for ageing individuals over two years, especially for southern bluefin and albacore, (ii) longitudinal sections are more precise and produce older age estimates than transverse sections for daily-age estimates, (iii) there are considerable differences in these trends between species, likely dependent on longevity, and (iv) parameter estimates and/or conclusions based on meta-analyses using age data derived from different ageing methods are likely confounded with methodological biases. This result demonstrates that greater effort is required to provide consistent, validated methods for routine age determination to support the assessment and management of these valuable populations.

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Improved Growth Estimates for Lethrinus harak: Measuring Increments, Adjusting Ages, and Fitting Flexible Growth Models

Fishes ◽

10.3390/fishes3030031 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 31

Author(s):

Stephen Midway ◽

Andrew Ostrowski ◽

Lindsey West ◽

Mario Hernandez ◽

Matthew Robertson

Keyword(s):

Fishery Management ◽

Growth Parameters ◽

Growth Models ◽

Age And Growth ◽

Tropical Species ◽

Parameter Estimates ◽

Growth Coefficient ◽

Asymptotic Size ◽

Age Estimates ◽

Edge Size

Thumbprint emperor (Lethrinus harak) are a widely distributed, tropical species ranging throughout the Indo-Pacific region. In coastal Tanzania, overfishing is likely occurring and thumbprint emperor are commonly represented in catches. The goal of this study was to estimate age and growth to provide basic life history information that may help inform future management. We sampled a total of n = 55 thumbprint emperors from both fishery-dependent and fishery-independent sources. Annular age estimates were improved with measurements of otolith markings. Fish ages ranged from zero to five years. We also evaluated the addition of otolith edge size (a proxy for fractional age) to age estimation, and fit two von Bertalanffy growth models—one for the whole ages and one for the fractional ages—using a flexible Bayesian framework. Growth parameters were similar between the two models, and ultimately, L ∞ (maximum asymptotic size parameter) estimates were comparable to other published values for the species, although our estimates of K (growth coefficient parameter) were smaller. Robust aging techniques for tropical fishes can provide a foundation for basic fishery management, which would help to sustain the future of this widely distributed fish.

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Growth, mortality and spawning stock biomass of the striped red mullet Mullus surmuletus, in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.105 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 5 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

S.F. MEHANNA

Keyword(s):

Growth Parameters ◽

Growth Parameter ◽

Reference Points ◽

Age And Growth ◽

Parameter Estimates ◽

Red Mullet ◽

Stock Biomass ◽

Reading Technique ◽

Spawning Stock ◽

Mullus Surmuletus

Population parameters such as age, growth, mortality and maturity-at-age are crucial parameters for accurate stock assessment and management plans to ensure the sustainable development of fisheries. Also, they are essential for the calculation of spawning stock biomass (SSB) and equilibrium yield as well as biological reference points including Fmax, F0.1 and F30%SSB. Age and growth parameters were estimated for the striped red mullet, Mullus surmuletus, sampled from commercial landings of the trawl fishery in the Egyptian Mediterranean waters, using the otolith reading technique. M. surmuletus has a longevity of 5 years, but over 70% of fish were less than 2 years old. The growth parameter estimates were K= 0.47 yrs-1, L∞= 31.74 cm, and to= -0.3 yrs. Natural mortality (M) was 0.43 yrs-1, fishing mortality (F) was 0.73 yrs-1, survival rate (S) was 0.31 and exploitation ratio was 0.63 yr-1. Length-at-50% maturity was estimated at 15.1 cm TL, while the length at first capture was estimated at 11.6 cm TL. SSB analysis showed that effort reduction is strongly recommended such that F be reduced by 40% to rebuild spawner biomass to acceptable levels. Per-recruit analysis revealed that F should be reduced by about 27% to achieve the maximum Y/R. All approaches point to the need for drastic reduction in fishing pressure by about 30-40% in the Egyptian Mediterranean fisheries.

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Validated age, growth and reproductive biology of Carcharhinus melanopterus, a widely distributed and exploited reef shark

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf13017 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 64 (10) ◽

pp. 965 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Andrew Chin ◽

Colin Simpfendorfer ◽

Andrew Tobin ◽

Michelle Heupel

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Logistic Model ◽

Growth Models ◽

Growth Parameter ◽

Information Criterion ◽

Age And Growth ◽

Parameter Estimates ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

Reef Sharks ◽

Carcharhinus Melanopterus

Inadequate life-history information can compromise management of shark populations. The present study examined the life history of blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) from north-eastern Australia with predictions that they would show life-history patterns similar to those of other reef sharks species. Age and growth estimates were derived from vertebrae and five growth models. Males were 543–1390 mm total length (LST) and females were 514–1600 mm LST. Longevity was 10 years (males) and 15 years (females). Chemical marking confirmed annual band pair deposition but indicated probable age underestimation of large individuals. The logistic model was preferred (second-order Akaike information criterion (AICc) weight 0.7536), with growth parameter estimates of length at birth (L0) = 617 mm LST; asymptotic length (L∞) = 1585 mm LST; k (from logistic model) = 0.251 year–1. Males matured at 4.2 years (1050 mm LST) and females at 8.5 years (1335 mm LST), although further verification is needed. Mating and parturition occurred in summer and autumn, females having three or four pups per litter. Data were inconclusive in determining reproductive periodicity. These data contribute to the species management and conservation and suggest that the species may be sensitive to fishing pressure and habitat loss. The study also demonstrated potential complications in using vertebrae to estimate age and growth of chondrichthyan fishes.

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Otolith research and application: current directions in innovation and implementation

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf05111 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 56 (5) ◽

pp. 477 ◽

Cited By ~ 75

Author(s):

Gavin A. Begg ◽

Steven E. Campana ◽

Anthony J. Fowler ◽

Iain M. Suthers

Keyword(s):

Environmental Indicators ◽

Age And Growth ◽

Tropical Fish ◽

Annual Increment ◽

The Third ◽

Marine Park ◽

Data Loggers ◽

Increment Formation ◽

New Instrumentation ◽

Natural Data

The Third International Symposium on Fish Otolith Research and Application was held in Townsville, Queensland, Australia from 11 to 16 July 2004. The overall theme was ‘Innovation and Implementation’, a collection of which is published here (Volume 56, Issue 5). Although age and growth studies predominated at the Symposium, new areas of quality-control assurance, annual-increment formation in deep-sea and tropical fish, image analysis and two-dimensional feature extraction were demonstrated. New statistical approaches were also evident, particularly in the subsampling of commercial data for estimating age compositions. The chemical composition of otoliths as natural data loggers has greatly advanced since the 1998 Symposium, with the advent of micromilling machines, new instrumentation and the use of isotopes rather than elements as environmental indicators. Otoliths will continue to support modern environmental needs for fisheries, marine park assessment, metapopulation conservation and the management of stocks and biodiversity of fish.

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