AGE AND GROWTH OF THE STRIPPED MULLET MUGIL PLATANUS (ACTINOPTERYGII, MUGILIDAE), IN A SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC COASTAL LAGOON (37º32?S-57º19?W): A PROPOSAL FOR A LIFE- HISTORY MODEL

GONZÁLEZ CASTRO, M.; ABACHIAN, V.; PERROTTA, R.G.

JOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY-ZEITSCHRIFT FUR ANGEWANDTE ICHTHYOLOGIE

Blackwell Verlag

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2009 vol. 25 p. 61 - 66

0175-8659

SUMMARY The species of Muglidae are an important economic resource, supporting many small comunities of Argentina and Brazil through fishing. The growth parameters of the von Bertalanffy?s model, age limit (A 0.95) and natural mortality (M) for the stripped mullet (Mugil platanus) Günther, 1880, in Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon (37º32?S-57º19?W) were estimated. These results constitute the first estimated values for the species and are as follows: Loo (cm) = 563.82; K (years-1) = 0.30; to (years) = - 0.057 (age groups 1-8); A 0.95 =10.07 years and   M= 0.30. Moreover, a hypothetical model is proposed for the life history of the adult stock of Mugil platanus from Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon based on CPUE data, environmental parameters, ovarian maturity stages, gonadosomatic indexes, the allometric growth coefficient b and deposition of hyaline or opaque rings in otholits. Mugil platanus is then interpreted as a species of moderate to rapid growth rate, with a relatively low longevity and a high natural mortality rate, if compared to the species of Mugilidae. Key words: Mugilidae; Mugil platanus; growth parameters; Coastal Lagoons. Age and growth. Life history model.