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A Comparison of Length‐, Weight‐, and Age‐Specific Fecundity Relationships for Cunner in Cape Cod Bay
Author(s) -
Nitschke Paul,
Mather Martha,
Juanes Francis
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8675(2001)021<0086:acolwa>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - bay , fecundity , cape , fishery , biology , zoology , oceanography , geography , demography , archaeology , geology , sociology , population
Understanding reproduction and recruitment is essential for the successful conservation of a species. An estimate of the fecundity of cunner Tautogolabrus adspersus is critical for assessing population dynamics and perturbation effects. In this study, we estimated length‐, weight‐, and actual age‐specific fecundity relationships for cunner in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts. We used the gonadosomatic index to assist with selection of mature, prespawning‐size fish for estimating fecundity. We then gravimetrically estimated fecundity for 205 fish 69–185 mm in total length that were collected in May and June 1994. Quadratic models on log 10 ‐transformed length and weight data each explained 71% of the variance in fecundity, and age data explained 57% of the variance. In a test of age‐specific fecundity precision, three age‐specific models (actual age, age back‐calculated from the von Bertalanffy equation, and a calculated age estimate that was expanded to include additional data) produced consistent fecundity estimates. Finally, a comparison of length‐, weight‐, and age‐specific fecundity relationships showed few differences among the models, suggesting that the more easily obtained length‐specific fecundity relationship (log 10 F = 24.954log 10 L − 5.348log 10 L 2 − 24.421; R 2 = 0.71) is appropriate for future cunner modeling studies.