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Testing staining techniques to determine age and growth of Dasyatis pastinaca (Linnaeus, 1758) captured in Iskenderun Bay, northeastern Mediterranean
Author(s) -
Girgin H.,
Başusta N.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of applied ichthyology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1439-0426
pISSN - 0175-8659
DOI - 10.1111/jai.13077
Subject(s) - bay , safranin , biology , crystal violet , staining , trawling , veterinary medicine , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , archaeology , geography , genetics
Summary This study tested the suitability of several staining methods to determine the age of common stingray ( Dasyatis pastinaca ) from Iskenderun Bay, Turkey. A total of 384 specimens (16.6 cm–69.3 cm disc width) were obtained by trawling between September 2010 and December 2011. Sex ratio of the samples was 53% males and 47% females. Appropriate age determination was firstly demonstrated using Safranin‐O staining. Age readings were made by two independent readers and the index of average percent error ( IAPE ) determined as 6.3% for Safranin‐O , 6.8% for Crystal Violet , 7.9% for Alcian Blue , and 9.3% for Silver Nitrate . Safranin‐O and Crystal Violet staining methods provided the best results. Verification of temporal growth ring formation was by marginal increment analysis. Disc width–weight relationships were determined by W = 0.0272* DW 3.06 for females and W = 0.0247* DW 3.08 for males. Estimates of the von Bertalanffy growth parameters indicated a larger asymptotic disc width ( DW ∞ = 127.06 cm) for females than for males ( DW ∞ = 114.54 cm); growth parameters were k = 0.058 year −1 , t o = −1.508 and k = 0.041 year −1 , t o = −3.632 for females and males, respectively.