Age, growth and length-to-weight relationship of largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) in south-eastern Australia suggest a distinct population

Clain, C; Stewart, J; Fowler, A; Diamond, S

Age, growth and length-to-weight relationship of largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) in south-eastern Australia suggest a distinct population

Clain, C Stewart, J Fowler, A Diamond, S

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Publisher:: Elsevier
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Aquaculture and Fisheries, 2023
Issue Date:: 2023-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Clain, C
dc.contributor.author	Stewart, J
dc.contributor.author	Fowler, A
dc.contributor.author	Diamond, S
dc.date.accessioned	2024-01-17T06:21:07Z
dc.date.available	2024-01-17T06:21:07Z
dc.date.issued	2023-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	Aquaculture and Fisheries, 2023
dc.identifier.issn	2096-1758
dc.identifier.issn	2468-550X
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/174715
dc.description.abstract	The age, growth rates and length to weight relationships for the south-eastern Australian population of largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) were investigated for the first time. Age was estimated by counting annuli in sectioned sagittal otoliths, with a maximum age of 8 years estimated for males and females. We found no significant differences in the growth rates of males and females over the size (12–78 cm pre-anal length (PL)) and age (0–8 years) ranges sampled. However, females in our collection were larger on average than males, and all fish sampled >60 cm PL were female, suggesting that females may grow to larger sizes than males and that sampling of greater numbers of larger and older fish may be required in future. T. lepturus growth was described by the von Bertalanffy growth function parameters L∝ = 74.89 cm PL, K = 0.13yr−1 and t0 = −0.80 yr, with the L∝ being amongst the largest reported for the species. Growth was variable, with the sizes at any given age spanning up to 50 cm PL. Female T. lepturus increased in body weight relative to length faster than males, as has been reported in other populations. The length/weight relationship for the south-eastern Australian population was significantly different, with almost no overlap, from that reported for T. lepturus in the Arabian Sea. The substantial differences in growth rates, maximum sizes and body morphometrics of T. lepturus from south-eastern Australia in comparison to other populations globally are consistent with the hypotheses that it represents a distinct population, although investigations using additional population markers are required to verify this.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Elsevier
dc.relation.ispartof	Aquaculture and Fisheries
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.aaf.2023.08.005
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.classification	3005 Fisheries sciences
dc.title	Age, growth and length-to-weight relationship of largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) in south-eastern Australia suggest a distinct population
dc.type	Journal Article
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2024-01-17T06:21:05Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

The age, growth rates and length to weight relationships for the south-eastern Australian population of largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) were investigated for the first time. Age was estimated by counting annuli in sectioned sagittal otoliths, with a maximum age of 8 years estimated for males and females. We found no significant differences in the growth rates of males and females over the size (12–78 cm pre-anal length (PL)) and age (0–8 years) ranges sampled. However, females in our collection were larger on average than males, and all fish sampled >60 cm PL were female, suggesting that females may grow to larger sizes than males and that sampling of greater numbers of larger and older fish may be required in future. T. lepturus growth was described by the von Bertalanffy growth function parameters L∝ = 74.89 cm PL, K = 0.13yr−1 and t0 = −0.80 yr, with the L∝ being amongst the largest reported for the species. Growth was variable, with the sizes at any given age spanning up to 50 cm PL. Female T. lepturus increased in body weight relative to length faster than males, as has been reported in other populations. The length/weight relationship for the south-eastern Australian population was significantly different, with almost no overlap, from that reported for T. lepturus in the Arabian Sea. The substantial differences in growth rates, maximum sizes and body morphometrics of T. lepturus from south-eastern Australia in comparison to other populations globally are consistent with the hypotheses that it represents a distinct population, although investigations using additional population markers are required to verify this.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/174715