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Age and growth of Neotrygon picta, Neotrygon annotata and Neotrygon kuhlii from north‐east Australia, with notes on their reproductive biology
Author(s) -
Jacobsen I. P.,
Bennett M. B.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2010.02829.x
Subject(s) - sexual maturity , biology , reproductive biology , gompertz function , maturity (psychological) , growth function , demography , zoology , ecology , fishery , mathematics , statistics , embryo , developmental psychology , psychology , sociology , embryogenesis
Vertebral band formations were used to define age and growth in three Neotrygon species caught regularly as by‐catch in prawn trawl fisheries in north‐east Australia. Centrum edge and marginal increment ratio analyses were used to validate annual band formations. Age estimates ranged from 1 to 18 years, with the von Bertalanffy growth function considered to have the best fit to Neotrygon picta (males, W D∞ = 271 mm, k = 0·12; females, W D∞ = 360·5 mm, k = 0·08) and Neotrygon kuhlii (males, W D∞ = 438·6 mm, k = 0·08; females, W D∞ = 440·6 mm, k = 0·08) disc width ( W D )‐at‐age data. The Gompertz growth function had the best fit to Neotrygon annotata W D ‐at‐age data (males, W D∞ = 230·4 mm, k = 0·20; females, W D∞ = 265·5 mm, k = 0·31). Age at sexual maturity ranged from 3 to 6 years, with N. picta having the smallest size at birth (100 mm W D ), smallest W D at 50% maturity ( W D50 : male, 172 mm, female, 180·7 mm) and lowest age at sexual maturity (3–4 years). This study helps redefine and improve the accuracy of fisheries‐based risk assessments for these small species with relatively conservative life‐history variables.