Age, growth and mortality of the Inshore Coarl Trout Plectropomus maculatus (Pisces: Serranidae) from the Central Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Abstract

Age and growth of the inshore coral trout P. maculatus from the central Great Barrier Reef region was determined by studies of annuli in whole and sectioned sagittae. The periodicity of formation of the annulus was validated through tetracycline labelling of mark-recaptured fishes in the wild and of captive fishes in aquaria. Results obtained from three recaptured and five captive fishes showed that annuli are formed once a year during late winter and spring months. von Bertalanffy growth-curve parameters were L_∞ = 60.00 cm SL, K= 0.206 and t_o = - 0.945 year. The oldest specimen examined was a 12-year-old male of 58 cm SL. The total rate of mortality (Z) was estimated to be 0.569.