Age and growth of the Brazilian flathead Percophis brasiliensis in the San Matías Gulf, northern Patagonia (Argentina)

LOPEZ, M. E.; RODRIGUES, K. A.; OCAMPO REINALDO M.; SAEZ, M.; RICO, M. R.; GONZÁLEZ R.

MARINE AND FISHERY SCIENCES (MAFIS)

Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero

Lugar: MAR DEL PLATA; Año: 2019 vol. 32 p. 103 - 114

2683-7595

Percophis brasiliensis is a perciform fish of commercial importance caught as bycatch by trawlers along its latitudinal distribution range (from 23°S in Brazil to 47°S in Argentina). In the San Matías Gulf (SMG) it is associated with the catches of Argentine hake Merluccius hubbsi and Patagonian shrimp Pleocticus muelleri. The main objective of this study was to describe the growth of this species in the SMG and to compare the results with available information for other areas of the Argentine Continental Shelf (ACS), specifically the coastal ecosystem of Buenos Aires province (CEB). The study was carried out using 294 specimens (196 females, 97 males and one of indeterminate sex) collected overfour non-consecutive years from commercial/recreational fishing and during research cruises. The age of individuals was determined by reading and counting the rings on the sagittae otoliths.The growth parameters were estimated using the von Bertalanffy (VB) model. The maximum ages observed were 14 years for females and 12 years for males. Significant differences were found between the sexes in the L∞ parameter (L∞males = 54.58; L∞females = 78.31cm, p