Age and Growth of 0+ Year Class Menidia menidia

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1984

A total of 1604 Menidia was collected biweekly from September 1979 to September 1980 at Orchard Beach (Long Island Sound, 40°52":73047'W). Scale and otolith examination revealed two age classes in the population: O+ fish (standard length c95 mm) and 1 + fish (standard length L 95 mm). Of the 1604 Menidia collected, 97%

Estuaries, 1982

Patterns in seasonal abundance (no. per m 2 surface area), growth and biomass (g per m 2 surface area) of an annual fish, the Atlantic silverside, Menidia menidia (L.) were investigated in a marsh and more seaward bay region of Essex Bay, Massachusetts from August 1976 to May 1978 using a quantitative beach seining technique. Silverside abundance varied greatly by season and year class during the study period. Abundance was high in 1976 but winter mortality (99%) left an adult density of only .01 per m z surface area in the marsh during spring 1977. Resultant 1977 year class density in the marsh was 1.88 per m ~ by late fall 1977 but winter mortality again produced an adult density of .01 per m 2 in spring 1978. Abundance was generally higher in the marsh than in the bay region especially during spring and late fall when catches in the bay were negligible. Based on catch rate comparisons, the summer and fall juvenile abundance of the 1976 year class was much higher than the juvenile abundance of the 1977 year class. Coincidentally, mean lengths and condition of the abundant 1976 year class in the late fall were significantly lower than those of the 1977 year class, suggesting density dependent population regulation. In both years, juveniles grew rapidly and reached full adult size by November when an offshore movement to deeper waters outside Essex Bay occurred.

Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2013

In the early life histories of many fish species, larger individuals have lower mortality rates and, as a consequence, growth is thought to be a primary determinant of recruitment. Although much is known about environmental influences on growth in the early life history, far less is known about genetic and maternal contributions. As the relative contributions of maternal, genetic, and environmental effects determine how populations respond to selective harvest, evaluating their magnitudes is an important step in constructing evolutionarily sustainable harvest strategies. Using Atlantic silversides Menidia menidia as a model organism, we conducted a fullfactorial breeding study to measure maternal and genetic contributions to size at age through the first 2 wk of life. A total of 418 full-and half-sib families were raised in a common environment, and body lengths were recorded at 1, 5, 10, and 15 d post-hatch. Maximum likelihood was used to estimate the genetic and maternal variance components. Heritability for size at age was between 0.10 and 0.25, and increased with age. At hatch, non-genetic maternal contributions were ~7 times greater than the genetic contributions to size, but decreased with age. These significant genetic and maternal contributions to size at age indicate substantial potential to respond to selection, with subsequent population dynamic consequences.

Journal of Fish Biology, 1999

The annual atherinid fishes, Menidia menidia and M. beryllina, are extremely similar morphologically, but appear to differ in their energetics and life histories. They emerge from winter in relatively emaciated condition. Menidia menidia males and females showed little change in carcass weight but significant increases in gonad weight in March and April prior to spawning in May. Female liver weight increased in March and remained high. Thus, this species had reached its reproductive size in the autumn and allocated its energy to gonadal growth during the spring. Menidia beryllina showed no significant increases in weight until early May, when carcass, liver and gonad all increased simultaneously, a pattern very different from its congener. The later spawning of M. beryllina is probably due both to its need for carcass growth in spring prior to spawning and to its apparent requirement for warmer water for growth. Females of both species invested more into liver and gonad than did males. Maximum gonadosomatic index was about twice as large for M. menidia males as for M. beryllina males, but the index was similar for females of both species.

Age and growth of redfish (Sebastes marinus mentella) were read by counting the annual rings (dark bands under reflected light) on broken otoliths. The otolith length and otolith weight both gave good regressions with fish length. These two otolith parameters did not, however, give a better relationship with fish age than did fish length.30 The age (A) length (L) relationship for sexes combined is: L = 5.022A and Ot0 von Bertalanffy equation for sexes combined is: L = 53.32 [1-e-()] both of these regressions have high variability (R 2 = 0.76, 0.75 respectively). Age length keys for 1977 and 1978 are included in the paper. Nous avons determine 1'age et la croissance de sebastes (Sebastes marinus mentella) par comptage des anneaux annuels (bandes noires a la lumiere refl6chie) sur des otolithes sectionnes. La longueur et le poids de l'otolithe donnent tous deux de bonnes regressions en fonction de la longueur du poisson. La relation entre ces deux parametres de 1'otolithe et l t age n'est toutefois pas meilleure qu'avec la longueur du poisson. La relation a e JA)-longueur (L) pour les sexes combines est: L = 5.022A 6 0 , et 1'equation de von Bertalanffy pour les sexes combines est: L = 53.32 [1-e 0.047(t+1 • 26)1, Ces regressions ont toutes deux une forte variabilite (R 2 = 0.76 et 0.75 respectivement). Le present article contient des Iles age-longueur pour 1977 et 1978.

ICES Journal of Marine Science, 2004

Age determination of redfish is difficult. In this paper, the ages of Sebastes mentella on the Flemish Cap are validated by following year classes from 1991 to 2000. The criteria used for S. mentella are consistent and coherent. The growth of different year classes is described and compared, and density-dependence is demonstrated to influence the growth rate of the strong 1990 year class, growth of that year class being the slowest of those followed. The slow rate of growth prevented that year class from maturing at the anticipated age. Growth is also compared between sexes, of S. mentella, S. marinus, and S. fasciatus, revealing that females grow faster than males. Finally, growth rate is compared among species. S. marinus grows fastest and S. mentella slowest, although the influence of density-dependent growth in S. mentella needs to be taken into consideration.

Fishery Bulletin, 2014

Standard methods for comparing population characteristics within and among fish populations greatly enhance communications among fisheries scientists, improve the efficiency of data analysis, and provide insight that helps guide management actions. Although standard methods are available for comparing some fish population characteristics (e.g. length structure, body condition), similar methods are lacking for comparing growth. The purpose of this study was to provide standards (i.e. percentiles and a standard growth model) for nine ecologically and recreationally important fish species. Percentile distributions of mean back-calculated length at age were estimated using data obtained from the published literature and from data solicited from state and federal agencies throughout North America. Percentiles of growth were estimated for bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, common carp, Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, flathead catfish, Pylodictis olivaris (Rafinesque), largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepe`de), sauger, Sander canadensis (Griffith & Smith), smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu Lacepe`de, white bass, Morone chrysops (Rafinesque) and yellow perch, Perca flavescens (Mitchill). Standard growth models (i.e. von Bertalanffy models) were developed for these species and for channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque). These results provide tools that will help scientists compare growth of fishes across North America. K E Y W O R D S : growth standards, relative growth index, von Bertalanffy.