Abstract

PAYAN-ALEJO, J.; RODRIGUEZ-DOMINGUEZ, G.  and  JACOB-CERVANTES, M. L.. Age and growth of middling thread herring Opisthonema medirastre (Berry & Barrett, 1963) in the southern Gulf of California. Revista bio ciencias [online]. 2020, vol.7, e725.  Epub Nov 18, 2020. ISSN 2007-3380.  https://doi.org/10.15741/revbio.07.e725.

Middling thread herring O. medirastre is part of a small pelagic fish catches in the southern Gulf of California, where the fishery is certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. The growth of this species is of great interest for the assessment and management of overall fisheries. Age-size data were generated in this research work from 428 otoliths readings obtained from fish sampled in commercial captures in 2005, 2008 and 2015. By means of a multi-model select approach, four cases of Schnute’s general growth model and one special case equivalent to Von Bertalanffy’s model were assessed to fit age-size data. The opaque zone of the otoliths was formed during the winter-spring period when maximum values of chlorophyll-a were present in fishing areas, while hyaline zone was formed during summer when reproduction period occurred. Five age groups were identified (0-4 years). Schnute growth model case 3 was the best selected model of growth. Data evidenced compensatory growth. The use of multi-model selection, the integration of size data at the age of three different years, representing different environmental conditions and compensatory growth, are a guarantee that Schnute growth model case 3, selected as the best model, is useful to represent mean growth of O. medirastre in the southern Gulf of California.

Keywords : O. medirastre; growth; compensatory effect; multi-model selection.

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