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Key transitions in morphological development improve age estimates in white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus
Author(s) -
Zarri Liam J.,
Mehl Sarah B.,
Palkovacs Eric P.,
Fangue Nann A.
Publication year - 2019
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/jfb.13954
Subject(s) - sturgeon , biology , white (mutation) , acipenser , zoology , key (lock) , ecology , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , biochemistry , gene
We reared white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus under laboratory conditions and found that a random‐forest model containing scute counts and total length predicted age significantly better than total length alone. Scute counts are rapid, inexpensive and non‐lethal meristics to gather in the field. This technique could improve age estimates of imperilled sturgeon populations.