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Age, growth, and mortality of wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri , from the Atlantic coast of Florida and the Bahamas
Abstract
Wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri, constitute an economically important fishery for many coastal nations, but assessment of this living marine resource is hampered by a lack of basic life history information. The present study demonstrates that wahoo in the western North Atlantic Ocean are short lived, grow rapidly in their first year, achieve a very large size, and have high mortality rates. The largest individuals were female and the sex ratio was significantly female-biased (298 females: 223 males: 54 unknown sex). An edge analysis showed that annuli formed primarily during winter-spring, which supported the use of sectioned otoliths for ageing wahoo. Wahoo lived a median of 1.3 years, a mean of 1.8 years, and a maximum of 9.3 years (n = 469). They had a high instantaneous mortality rate (Z = 0.98), and they grew rapidly and to a large size; von Bertalanffy growth parameters were: L(infinity) = 1701 mm fork length (FL), K = 0.381, t(o) = -1.63. Females had a very similar maximum age relative to males (maximum age 9.3 v. age 9.1 years), and they had a slightly, but not significantly, lower mortality (Z = 0.91 v. 1.1) than males. Females grew slightly, although not significantly, larger than males (L(infinity) = 1797 v. 1555 mm FL, maximum observed = 1804 v. 1585 mm FL). Presumably the piscivorous nature of wahoo feeding, as noted by others, fuels these fast growth rates. Comparative data are very limited but it appears that the survival rate of wahoo in the western Atlantic Ocean is not different now than in the 1960s.
... Wahoo Acanthocybium solandri is a pelagic species of the Scombridae family, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical oceanic waters worldwide (Hogarth 1976;Zischke et al. 2015). Previous studies suggest that wahoo is a fast-growing, large and short-lived pelagic species (McBride et al. 2008;Kishore et al. 2001;Zischke et al. 2013). The world record weight of wahoo is 96.4 kg and a fork length of more than 210 cm (Zischke et al. 2013;Theisen et al. 2008). ...
... Wahoo, like many other pelagic species such as tunas, billfishes and dolphinfish, has several morphological and physiological adaptations associated with fast burst swimming (Collette et al. 1983;Zischke et al. 2015). Due to its size structure and high food value in most coastal countries, wahoo tops byproduct species landed in many commercial fisheries, especially longline and purse-seine fisheries operating in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (McBride et al. 2008;Zischke et al. 2015;Zischke 2012). Although wahoo is typically not the main target of these commercial fisheries, it supports targeted recreational and artisanal fisheries and is a valuable byproduct in both purse seine and longline fisheries (Oxenford et al. 2003;Viana et al. 2008;Viana et al. 2013). ...
... Although wahoo is typically not the main target of these commercial fisheries, it supports targeted recreational and artisanal fisheries and is a valuable byproduct in both purse seine and longline fisheries (Oxenford et al. 2003;Viana et al. 2008;Viana et al. 2013). Global wahoo catches have steadily increased over the past three decades as it has become an important bycatch species in many commercial fisheries (McBride et al. 2008;Zischke et al. 2015;ICCAT 2019;Fredou et al. 2021). Notwithstanding the growing importance of wahoo in global fisheries, concern has recently been expressed over the lack of basic biological and fisheries information on wahoo, particularly in the West African Tropical Atlantic region (ICCAT 2019;Pons et al. 2019 a,b;Fredou et al. 2021). ...
Unassessed fisheries, mostly non-targeted fisheries, are
now particularly predominant in many commercial fisheries
and are critical to food security in developing countries. These
fisheries typically lack reliable data essential for assessing
their stocks, leaving them susceptible to overfishing and
declining yield over time. This study proposes a framework
for determining the life history and management of such
fisheries. Data on the length composition and reproduction
of wahoo Acanthocybium solandri, a common bycatch
species in commercial fisheries, were obtained from
observers aboard Chinese longline vessels in the Eastern
Atlantic between 2010 and 2020 and were used as a case
study. A comprehensive methodological approach was
applied using data on this species to estimate its life history
parameters, to evaluate biological reference points, and to
provide proxies for the stock status. The final main growth
parameters obtained were: Linf = 161.21 cm FL (157.34–
194.68), K = 0.47/year (0.14–0.65); estimated size at first
maturity was 89.6 cm FL. As assessed by the set of methods
applied, the wahoo stock state was healthy in the Tropical
Eastern Atlantic Ocean. This study advises against using a
single approach to determining life history parameters in
data-limited fisheries, as this may affect reference points and
thus management recommendations. This study provides a
route whereby many easy-to-apply methods can be used to
understand the status of multiple stocks in poorly managed
fisheries, and thus provide management plans.
... Wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri (Cuvier, 1832), is a pelagic species distributed throughout tropical and sub-tropical oceanic waters worldwide [1][2][3]. It is retained as bycatch in most commercial fisheries that target large pelagic species such as tunas and swordfish, and it is a socioecological and an economically important fishery for many coastal nations [4,5]. ...
... Past studies (mostly in the Atlantic and South Pacific) reported wahoo to be a fast-growing, large and short-lived pelagic species [1,2,4,6,7]. Estimated maximum age as reported by most researchers was about 10 years; the heaviest captured wahoo was 96.4 kg and the longest wahoo had a fork length of more than 210 cm recorded in 2006 from the South Pacific Ocean [4,8]. ...
... They prefer surface temperatures ranging between 18 to 30 °C and can attend depths of about 253 m [9]. Many reports show that wahoo consumes mostly fishes and squids [2,6]. Previous studies report that wahoo species show extended spawning season, largely related with increases in water temperature [5,[10][11][12], but there is no literature as of now that addresses the spawning season of wahoo in the WCPO. ...
Wahoo Acanthocybium solandri is a common bycatch pelagic species in oceanic fisheries targeting tuna and tuna-like species. Biology and environmental preferences are important parameters in understanding life history of fish species including wahoo. Despite the socio-economic importance of wahoo in many coastal countries, little is known about their biological and fisheries information in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO). These parameters were analyzed on the basis of samples collected via the Chinese tuna long-line Fishery Observer Programme in 2012. Results obtained from this study show that the fork length (FL) of wahoo ranged from 59 to 169 cm with an average of 111.3 cm, and two dominant size groups were identified at 100 to 130 cm for males and 90 to 130 cm for females. Body size did not significantly differ between female and male wahoo specimens. Wahoo specimens expressed a positive allometric growth (b = 3.183), and the sex ratio was 1.9:1 (female/male), which differed significantly between both sexes. Only female wahoo were observed in catches of FL > 150 cm. The estimated lengths at 50% maturity (FL50) of female and male wahoo were 84 cm and 83 cm, respectively. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) of wahoo was at its peak in November, and on the basis of the stomach content analysis, wahoo mainly preyed on fish (84.64%), cephalopods (14.26%), and crustaceans (1.1%), found on the basis of prey number. The optimal swimming depth and water temperature of wahoo in the WCPO were found to range between 70 and 110 m and 23.1 and 24 ℃, respectively. The updated life history information presented in this work helps to address current data limitations and provides critical information for future assessments of wahoo stocks in the WCPO.
... The majority of previous biological research on wahoo has been undertaken in the Atlantic Ocean and suggests that wahoo grow rapidly and have a relatively short lifespan (Zischke, 2012, and references therein). Most age and growth estimates have been derived from whole and sectioned sagittal otoliths (Hogarth, 1976;Kishore and Chin, 2001;McBride et al., 2008) and have varied considerably among regions. The earliest growth parameter estimates for wahoo from the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States suggested relatively slow growth (K ¼ 0.152 year 21 ), large theoretical maximum fork length (L 1 ¼ 2151 mm), and a large negative age at a theoretical length of zero (t 0 ¼ 23.67 years; Hogarth, 1976). ...
... More recent estimates for fish from Florida and the Caribbean report parameter estimates (K ¼ 0.340-0.381 year 21 , L 1 ¼ 1491-1701 mm, t 0 ¼ 21.63 to 21.54 years), suggesting faster growth and a smaller maximum size (Kishore and Chin, 2001;McBride et al., 2008). ...
... A count of growth increments (I G ), each consisting of a translucent zone and an opaque zone, was assigned to each otolith. All fish with one or more I G were also assigned an edge classification (E C ) according to the proportion of opaque or translucent material at the otolith edge, according to McBride et al. (2008): new (N), some portion of opaque material on the edge; newly formed increment (NFI), a complete opaque zone on the edge followed by little translucent material; intermediate (I), a translucent zone on the edge less than two-thirds the width of the previous growth increment; and wide (W), a translucent zone on the edge greater than two-thirds the width of the previous growth increment. Edge analysis was favoured over marginal increment analysis as the linear measurement of the final increment and edge was problematic in whole otoliths. ...
Zischke, M. T., Griffiths, S. P., and Tibbetts, I. R. 2013. Rapid growth of wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) in the Coral Sea, based on length-at-age estimates using annual and daily increments on sagittal otoliths. – ICES Journal
of Marine Science, 70: 1128–1139.
The wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) is an economically important species incidentally caught in oceanic fisheries targeting tuna and coastal fisheries targeting
mackerels. The age and growth of wahoo was examined using whole and sectioned otoliths from 395 fish (790–1770 mm LF) sampled from the Coral Sea. Growth increments were more reliably assigned on whole otoliths than sectioned otoliths. Edge
analyses revealed that growth increments were deposited annually, primarily between October and February. Furthermore, analysis
of presumed daily microincrements showed that ∼90% of fish had deposited the first “annual” growth increment by the 365th
day, thereby indirectly validating annual increment formation. Wahoo were aged at between 108 d and 7 years, with 76% of fish
being <2-year old. The specialized von Bertalanffy growth function provided the best fit to length-at-age data, with parameter
estimates (sexes combined) of L∞ = 1499 mm LF, K = 1.58 year−1, and t0 = −0.17 years. The growth performance index for wahoo in the Coral Sea (φ′ = 4.55) was one of the highest of all pelagic fish, with their growth and maximum size most similar to dolphinfish. This
study suggests that wahoo are one of the fastest growing teleosts and provides growth parameter estimates that may facilitate
future stock assessments and guide fisheries management.
... Iversen and Yoshida (1957) observed slight differences in fish size between northern and southern latitudes, suggesting a non-random distribution. Subsequent research supports this as there appears to be discrepancies in fish size and growth parameters among regions, specifically the lack of large fish around Taiwan and the Bahamas (Beerkircher, 2005;Franks et al., 2000;Hogarth, 1976;Kishore and Chin, 2001;McBride et al., 2008). Reported differences in fish size and growth may be an artifact of research sampling techniques, fishing pressure, or a combination of the two, but may also be due to changes in oceanographic conditions, food availability and season. ...
... Kishore and Chin (2001) also believed that whole otoliths displayed clearer increments than sectioned otoliths, which displayed no visible discontinuity in the otolith accreting material. In contrast, McBride et al. (2008) suggested that the readability of whole otoliths was not confidently repeatable and, most importantly, did not allow for measurement of marginal increments in order to validate the frequency of increment deposition. In an attempt to increase the visibility of growth bands, Franks et al. (2001) stained and etched sectioned wahoo otoliths, which proved unsuccessful. ...
... While the abovementioned studies have produced estimates of growth using various aging techniques, the validation of growth bands as being deposited annually is uncertain. The best attempt used edge type analysis (McBride et al., 2008), which determined whether the most recently formed increment had just begun, was intermediate or nearing completion. While limited by small sample sizes for some months, the first annulus was identifiable and each growth band was suggested to represent 1 year of growth. ...
The wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri (Cuvier), is a high trophic level predator in tropical and sub-tropical marine pelagic waters worldwide. Wahoo are primarily caught as a retained incidental catch in purse seine and pelagic longline fisheries that target tuna and swordfish. The global commercial catch of wahoo has increased in the Pacific Ocean from 130 t in 1993 to a peak in recent years of 1339 t in 2006. Wahoo are also a highly prized sportfish in recreational fisheries, and although catches are poorly understood, they may be higher than the commercial catch in some regions. Despite their commercial and recreational importance, little quantitative information exists on their biology and stock structure, particularly in the Pacific Ocean. This dearth of information may have significant consequences for stock assessments and management. Suggested research priorities for wahoo in the Pacific Ocean are to: (1) investigate their biology in the region, particularly age, growth and reproductive parameters, which are essential for stock assessment; (2) use holistic methods to determine stock structure on a timescale appropriate for assessment and management; (3) conduct quantitative diet analyses that may contribute to ecosystem models, and (4) quantify catch from recreational fisheries to include in estimates of total mortality.
... The wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri (Curvier, 1831), a member of the family Scombridae (Collette, 1999;Collette et al., 2001), is a pelagic and oceanic species, with a highly migratory behavior, distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, including the Caribbean and the Mediterranean Seas (Hogarth 1976;Collette and Nauen, 1983;Garber, 2005;McBride et al., 2008;Theisen et al., 2008). The species occurs only seasonally in temperate waters of the North Atlantic (Hogarth, 1976), but is present through*Corresponding author. ...
... out the year in the Caribbean and in the Gulf of Mexico, although its abundant fishes exhibit seasonal patterns in different locations (Oxenford et al., 2003). Fisheries targeting wahoo are increasingly common worldwide, enhancing the need for more accurate data on its biological aspects (Brown-Peterson et al., 2000;Oxenford et al., 2003;McBride et al., 2008). The wahoo is one of the most important species caught in tropical oceans, being fished both directly as well as a by-catch in tuna longline and purse seine fisheries (Oxenford et al., 2003;Viana, et al., 2008). ...
... In Brazil, the species occur along the entire coast, being caught often by the artisanal fleet in the northeastern region, particularly around seamounts and oceanic islands, including Fernando de Noronha and the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (SPSPA) (Campos et al., 2009)where, the species accounted for approximately 20% of the total number of fish caught during the last decade (Viana et al., 2008). A considerable amount of information is already available on wahoo life history, reproduction, genetics, age and growth, fishery, depth distribution and population characteristics, from different regions of the world (Rathjen and Squire, 1960;Hogarth, 1976;Luckhurst et al., 1997;Murray and Joseph, 1997;Neilson et al., 1999;Brown-Peterson et al., 2000;Luckhurst and Trott, 2000;Franks et al., 2000;Franks et al., 2001;Nash et al., 2002;Oxenford et al., 2003;Garber et al., 2005;Theisen et al., 2008;McBride et al., 2008;Jenkins and McBride, 2009;Sepulveda et al., 2011;Zischke et al., 2012). However, no biological information on this species has been ever reported from the southwestern and equatorial portion of the Atlantic Ocean. ...
The wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri, a cosmopolitan species distributed in tropical and subtropical waters
of the Atlantic Ocean, is often caught by commercial fishing vessels in the vicinity of the Saint Peter and
Saint Paul Archipelago (SPSPA) (Brazil). The aim of the present study was to investigate the reproductive
biology of wahoo caught around the SPSPA, between July 1998 and June 2006. During this period, a total of
1,500 specimens were measured and 1,162 were sexed (610 males and 552 females), among which 774 had
their gonads collected and fixed in a 10% formaldehyde solution. Fork length of the sampled specimens
ranged from 63 cm to 197 cm. The results suggest that the peak of reproductive activity in the area occurs
in April-May. Size at first maturity was estimated at 110 cm FL for females and 102 cm FL for males. The
estimated batch fecundity was equal to 1,317.235 oocytes, ranging from 287,040 to 2,494.512. Spawning
seems to be multiple and protracted throughout several months between February and September, with a
clear seasonal reproduction cycle.
... Wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri (Cuvier, 1832), is a highly migratory, pelagic scombrid occurring in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide (Collette 2002;Oxenford et al. 2003). It is piscivorous, fast-growing and large, but short-lived (Hogarth 1976;McBride et al. 2008). It is gonochoristic, with asynchronous oocyte development and a batch spawning pattern (Hogarth 1976;Brown-Peterson et al. 2000). ...
... Most fish were weighed (bodyweight, BW) to 0.1 lb (45 g) and converted later to kilograms. Bodyweights for unweighed fish were predicted from FL using the equation reported by McBride et al. (2008). When possible, ovaries were removed, kept on ice, and weighed (gonad weight, GW) in the laboratory to 0.01 g. ...
... Ages were determined using a sectioned otolith method developed by McBride et al. (2008). This study includes 147 of these aged females (i.e. ...
Despite its economic importance to many coastal nations, assessments of wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri, are hampered by a lack of basic life history information. In this study, wahoo were collected from Florida's Atlantic coast and the northern Bahamas during 19972006 to examine reproductive seasonality, maturation, spawning frequency and fecundity. These samples demonstrated only a single, summer-spawning season, which did not support earlier postulations of spring spawning by wahoo near the Bahamas. The size and age at 50% female maturity were 925 mm fork length and 0.64 years, respectively. Spawning frequency was, on average, every 5 days during JuneAugust, but 13% of mature females were inactive during this period. Batch fecundity was positively correlated with fish size, and varied between 0.44 and 1.67 million eggs. Parasites, previously unreported to occur in wahoo gonads and identified only as philometrid nematodes, were evident in 11% of these females. Most parasitised fish had vitellogenic oocytes, several even with oocytes with migrating nuclei or post-ovulatory follicles, so these parasitised fish were capable of spawning. Although wahoo have been noted to have relatively small gonads, and parasites are often found in female gonads, annual fecundity estimates are of the order of 10100 million eggs. The significant contribution of older, larger females to egg production should be considered in managing this fishery.
... Stage of maturity was determined by macroscopic or histological examination of gonads when feasible. Age estimates for a subsample of wahoo were made by removing, processing, and examining sagittal otoliths according to the protocols of McBride et al. (2008). ...
... Ages of the subsampled wahoo examined (n = 108) were based on otolith-annuli estimates and ranged from 0.4 to 6.3 years, with a mean age of 1.6 years. Based on macroscopic and histological examination of gonads and on age and size at maturity estimates (McBride et al., 2008), the majority of wahoo analyzed in this study were considered mature. ...
... Wahoo are relatively short lived and grow rapidly to a large size. Although wahoo have been aged to a maximum of 9.3 years, they can potentially live up to 10 years (McBride et al., 2008). The mean age of a large representative sample (n = 469) of this species collected from the Florida-Bahamas offshore study area was found to be 1.8 years (McBride et al., 2008). ...
Wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri, are predatory oceanic fish that occur and are harvested in all tropical and subtropical oceans. Total mercury concentrations analyzed in dorsal muscle tissue of 208 wahoo from offshore waters of the southeastern United States and the Bahamas ranged from 0.021 to 3.4 mg/kg (wet weight), with a mean of 0.50 mg/kg (+/- 0.595 SD). Analyses indicated significant positive linear relationships between mercury and length, as well as, age of wahoo. The piscivorous nature, generally high trophic position, fast growth rate, and associated high metabolism of wahoo within tropical offshore pelagic environments may lead to comparatively higher concentrations of mercury over relatively short time periods. Mercury in wahoo, a highly mobile species consisting of one world-wide population, is regionally influenced by large-scale spatial differences in available mercury in selected prey fish species - many of which have been found to contain relatively high concentrations of mercury.
... The study of the age of marine species is one of the main subjects of interest to researchers to understand population dynamics and specially to assess the stocks of certain species, e.g., that of the of Japanese sardines [69,80,82,[110][111][112][113][114][115]. The main methods (direct and indirect methods) developed for these studies to determine the age of this species are the scale readings methods usually used in Japan, the otolith increment methods, and the length-based methods using the von Bertalaffy growth model. ...
... The length-frequency analysis and otolith readings are generally the most commonly used methods to determine the age and growth of Japanese sardines. Otolith shapes and sizes change with fish growth and the relationship between otolith radius (r: mm) and body length (BL: mm) is mainly linear [111][112][113][114][115][116]. In addition, the authors of [115] indicated a correlation among body growth, recruitment, and age species. ...
Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus) is a significant small pelagic fish and a valuable resource that plays an essential ecological role in the marine ecosystem. It is present in the far Eastern Asian maritime waters, including the Pacific Ocean, Sea of Japan, and the East China Sea. Encircling nets, particularly purse seines, are the most used fishing equipment to catch this species. Their fishing grounds are located entirely in coastal areas. Japanese sardine catches have shown varying trends over the last five decades, with a high frequency of captures occurring in the 1980s before collapsing in the early 1990s. The economic and ecological importance of this species has prompted much research, which provided additional information about their spawning migration, distribution, fisheries, and biology. This research was mostly undertaken in the Sea of Japan and its adjacent waters spanning in the north Pacific Ocean. Despite all this research and the importance of this species in its habitats and in commercial fisheries, there is a lack of a recent review presenting the status of global fisheries and biological information for this species. This paper summarizes and updates information on the global geographical distribution, biological aspects, trends in catches, stock fluctuations and assessment, and management measures of the Japanese sardine population. This paper also summarizes information related to the influence of environmental factors on the occurrence of this species and also identifies information gaps. Further research directions are also discussed in this work, which may help improve the knowledge of Japanese sardine and establish rational management measures for their conservation.
... Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri Cuvier, 1832), a member of the Scombrid family, a pelagic (open ocean) species found worldwide in tropical and warm-temperate seas. The wahoo is highly migratory species, widely distributed throughout tropical and subtropical oceans (Collette & Nauen, 1983;Garber et al., 2005;Mc Bride et al., 2008). Roullot & Venkatasami, (1986) mentioned that sports fishermen used troll around FAD reported good catches of tuna, dolfinfish and wahoo. ...
... Wahoo is a pelagic, highly migratory species of the family scombridae which broadly distributed throughout tropical and subtropical oceans (Collette and Nauen 1983;Garberetal. 2005;Mc Bride et al., 2008). Little information is available on wahoo movement, although their availability change seasonally and the average size different in the various latitude. ...
Wahoo ( Acanthocybium solandri Cuvier, 1832) is a member of the Scombrid family, is a pelagic (open ocean) species found worldwide in tropical and warm-temperate seas. It is fished throughout its range by artisanal, recreational, and commercial. Wahoo is one of the by-product species of the tuna long line fleets operate in Indian Ocean. This paper describes status of wahoo resource caught by tuna long line in Indian Ocean based at Benoa-Bali. Data obtained from onboard observer program on the tuna long liner based at Benoa-Bali during 2005-2010. Total of 85 trips of onboard observation were carried out with the total long line sets (one set per day) were 2873 times. The data covered the horizontal and vertical position of tuna long line hooks caught the wahoo, hook rate and fish size distribution. Data of horizontal fishing positions (coordinates) gained from the global positioning system availabled in the tuna long liners. The depth of the long line gear in the waters and teperature of waters were measured by mini-loggers TDR type SP2T-1200, brand: NKE Micrel. Hook rate of wahoo is calculated using the Klawe (1986) method. Result of research showed that the wahoos caught by tuna long lines based at Benoa spread horizontally between 1o31’-33o 40’S and 77o18’-117o53’E and spread vertically between the depth of 75.2- 285.7 m. From 85 tuna long line fishing trips, only about 50% of 85 tuna long line fishing trips caught wahoo with hook rate ranged 0.947-1.399 per 1000 hooks/setting. Size distribution of wahoo ranged 70-180cm with modus ranged 101-110cm.
... We then explored several applicabilities of this new procedure and discuss their advantages. *Estimated ages from the already published growth curves (Stéquert et al., 1996;Lessa et al., 2008;McBride et al., 2008;Duarte-Neto et al., 2012). TL, Total length; FL, Fork length; SL, Standard length; HU, Hounsfield units (mean ± standard deviation). ...
... This could be related to the fact that all individuals in this sample have reached the stationary growth phase, or two linear patterns could exist related to different sexes. McBride et al. (2008) suggested a difference in growth between males and females for this species. Unfortunately, we do not have information on sex definition to evaluate the second hypothesis. ...
In this paper, we aim to provide optimal parameters for micro-computed tomography scans of fish otoliths. We tested fifteen different combinations to sagittae. The images were scaled to Hounsfield units, and segmented in two distinct volumes-of-interest (external and internal). The strategy we applied, for identifying optimum scan settings for otoliths, included analyses of the sinogram, the distribution of the Hounsfield units and the signal-to-noise ratio. Based on these tests, the optimum sets of parameters for the acquisition of tomographic images of sagittal otoilths were 80 kV, 220 µA, and 0.5 mm aluminum filter. The method allowed 3D shape analysis, internal and external density distribution, layer-by-layer density segmentation, and a potential objective method to count growth rings in otoliths. It was possible to compare mean densities between species, and we observed a significant difference among them. In addition, there are ontogenic changes, which could be increasing or decreasing the density. In this study, we applied tomography for several otolith analysis, that could be of great interest for future studies in diverse areas that use otoliths as the basic structure of analysis, or represents a new research line called eco-densitometry of otoliths, where tomography could be applied to explore the density within an ecological perspective.
... Long-lived parasites can accumulate with host age and, therefore, obscure potential differences in parasite abundance where the age of sampled fish differs among regions (Rohde, 1982). McBride et al. (2008) showed that age of wahoo closely correlates with otolith weight in the Atlantic Ocean; therefore, W O was considered to be a suitable proxy of age in the present study. Similarly, for the closely related Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), W O was shown to be better than host age for determining parasite accumulation (Lester et al., 2001). ...
... These results indicate that wahoo may consist of at least two discrete phenotypic stocks in the Pacific Ocean. The large geographic distance across the Pacific Ocean, combined with the fast growth rates and short lifespan of wahoo (McBride et al., 2008), suggests that adult fish may not be capable of making large-scale migrations in sufficient numbers to cause phenotypic homogeneity. Also, wahoo do not appear to have specific spawning areas, but spawn throughout their distribution during spawning season (Zischke et al., in press;Jenkins and McBride, 2009). ...
Zischke, M. T., Griffiths, S. P., Tibbetts, I. R., and Lester, R. J. G. 2013. Stock identification of wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) in the Pacific and Indian Oceans using morphometrics and parasites. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70:164–172.
The wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) is an increasingly important by-product species of tropical pelagic fisheries worldwide. However, specific management of the species is currently hindered by a dearth of information on basic biology and stock structure. This study examined the stock structure of wahoo using morphometric characters and parasite fauna from fish collected in three regions of the western Pacific, and one region in each of the eastern Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans. Similar morphometric measurements and parasite abundance of wahoo collected off eastern Australia suggest they may form part of a single phenotypic stock in the western Pacific Ocean. Morphometric measurements and parasite fauna were significantly different among wahoo from the western Pacific and eastern Pacific Oceans, suggesting multiple discrete phenotypic stocks despite genetic homogeneity. Assessing fish from a range of regions throughout the Pacific Ocean may help discriminate stock boundaries in this region. Future research using complementary techniques, such as otolith microchemistry and genetic microsatellites, may improve our understanding of the global stock structure of wahoo to suitably inform regional fishery management organizations.
... The wahoo Acanthocybium solandri is a pelagic, highly migratory species of the family Scombridae broadly distributed throughout tropical and subtropical oceans (Hogarth 1976; Collette and Nauen 1983; Garber et al. 2005; McBride et al. 2008 ). Recent work on population connectivity and genetic structure propose that the wahoo represents a single circumglobal population (Theisen et al. 2008 ). ...
... Like many other oceanic predators (i.e., tunas, billfishes), the wahoo has a number of morphological and physiological adaptations related to fast burst swimming (Walters and Fierstine 1964; Magnuson 1978; Wegner et al. 2006; Wegner et al. 2010), which consequently makes it a prized target among recreational fishers. Due to its large size and high food value, the wahoo is also landed in many commercial operations (Takenaka et al. 1984; Luckhurst and Trott 2000; McBride et al. 2008; Uchiyama and Boggs 2006). Throughout their extensive range, wahoo support directed recreational and artisanal fisheries and are a valuable incidental catch in both purse seine and longline fisheries (Oxenford et al. 2003; Viana et al. 2008). ...
The depth distribution and temperature preferences of wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) were quantified in the eastern North Pacific using archival tags. One hundred and eight data-loggers were deployed on wahoo
(105–165-cm fork length) from 2005 to 2008 at three locations off of the coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico (Alijos Rocks,
25°00′N/115°45′W; Magdalena Bay Ridge, 25°55′N/113°21′W; Hurricane Bank, 16°51′N/117°29′W). Twenty-five tagged individuals
(23%) were recaptured within close proximity (<20km) of their release sites. Collectively, depth and temperature data from
499days revealed a predominant distribution within the upper mixed layer, with an average (±SD) depth of 18±4m during
the day and 17±6m at night. Wahoo spent 99.2% of the daytime and 97.9% of night above the thermocline, and the greatest
depth achieved by any fish was 253m. Mean dive duration (3.8±2.9 vs. 2.3±0.8min) and the vertical rate of movement (3.8±1.3
vs. 3.0±0.5mmin−1) were greater at night when compared to day. Ambient temperatures obtained from tag records ranged from 11.1 to 27.9°C, with
an average of 25.0±1.1°C. These data identify the importance of the warm, upper mixed layer for the wahoo. High recapture
rates proximal to the deployment sites suggest seasonal site fidelity and reveal the economic importance of this resource
to both commercial and recreational fisheries of the region.
... least vulnerable species within this group, mainly because of its high scores for productivity. This is due largely to its high growth rate, allowing it to reach a maximum total length (TL) of ~100 cm, and a relatively small length at first maturity ~50 cm TL (Fromentin and Fonteneau, 2001;McBride et al., 2008;Collette, 2010;ICCAT, 2010). On the other hand, the bluefin tuna's high vulnerability is attributed to its low productivity, which is mainly due to its low growth rate (k = 0.12 y − 1 ), the fact that it reaches the age of the first maturity at 8 to 12 years, and with a maximum age of 32 years with its longevity (Neilson and Campana, 2008;Corriero et al., 2020). ...
Exposure risk is assessed based on modeling suitable habitat of large pelagic fish and oil spill scenarios originating at three wells located in the western GM's deep waters. Since the fate of the oil depends on the oceanographic conditions present during the accident, as well as the magnitude and duration of the spill, which are not known a priori, the scenarios used are a statistical representation of the area in which oil spilled from the well could be found, given all possible outcomes. The ecological vulnerability assessment identified a subset of bony fish with low-medium vulnerability and elasmobranchs with medium-high vulnerability. The oiling probability and exposure risk of both bony fish and elasmobranchs hotspots vary by well analyzed. Thus, these results provide essential information for a risk management plan for the assessed species and others with economic or conservation importance distributed in the GM and worldwide.
... Determination of life history traits of marine fishes provides an increased understanding of population dynamics and sustainable fishery yields which support better management decisions (Treble et al. 2008;Zischke et al. 2013). The age of a fish is one of the most important biological factors measured, and informs researchers about recruitment, growth, and mortality (Leung and Allen 2016;McBride et al. 2008). These biological estimates are essential when managing marine fisheries, especially an overfished species like Barred Sand Bass. ...
The recreational fishery for Barred Sand Bass (Paralabrax nebulifer) has
recently shown declines in catch prompting a need for updating life-history
attributes. The objective of this study was to provide a more extensive and
current examination of Barred Sand Bass age and growth. Fish were collected
from the southern California bight from 2011 to 2015. Using Akaike Information Criteria analysis we determined that the three-parameter von Bertalanffy
growth model was the best fit out of the four tested models (Gompertz, Logistic, Power, and von Bertalanffy). Males grew slightly quicker than females
(k, males = 0.10, females = 0.08). Males and females did not differ in length,
weight, or the length-weight relationship. We also validated yearly banding
of Barred Sand Bass with oxytetracycline marking of two fish in captivity for
one year. Location of the first annulus was also validated with otolith diameter
measurements. Finally, we compared the current study to a past 1990’s study
and observed different growth parameters. The growth difference after thirty
years showed that possible fishing pressure and environmental factors might
have influenced changes in growth. This study provides current information
on age, growth over time and, otolith morphometrics, for Barred Sand Bass.
... Acanthocybium solandri is found to at least 340 m, estimated longevity at 9 years and feeds mostly on small fishes and squids (McBride et al., 2008;Gao et al., 2020). The heaviest captured specimens was 96.4 kg and the largest more than 210 cm recorded in 2006 from the South Pacific Ocean (Zischke, 2012). ...
A rising trend in catches of non-targeted species has recently been observed in major
fisheries including tuna longline fisheries, yet most of these species are unmanaged.
Given their importance to local economies and sustainable livelihoods in many coastal
countries, there is a need to provide plans for their management. However, most nontargeted species are data-limited which hampers the use of conventional assessment
methods. This study applied a novel data-limited length-based Bayesian biomass
estimator (LBB) method to assess the stocks of five species from the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans. Estimates of growth, length at first capture and present relative biomass
(B/B0, B/BMSY) of these species were gotten from length-frequency (LF) data. Of the ten
populations (5 species from two regions) assessed, one has collapsed, one grossly
overfished, and three overfished. Six populations had the ratio of mean lengths at
first capture (Lc) on the mean length at first capture, which maximizes the catch and
biomass (Lc_opt) greater than unity, indicating the presence of large-sized specimens
in the populations. Two species faced intense fishing pressure in the Atlantic while
one population collapsed in the Pacific Ocean. Our results indicate that even nontargeted pelagic can be prone to over-exploitation. Therefore, there is an urgent need
for stakeholders and fisheries managers to focus on improving fishery statistics and to
conduct periodic monitoring of stock status indicators for non-target species.
... Cá thu ngàng là loài cá nổi xa bờ thuộc họ cá thu ngừ Scombridae. Vòng đời của loài khoảng 9,3 tuổi [13] với kích thước cực đại khoảng 171 cm [14]. Cá thu ngàng thành thục sinh dục ở 1 tuổi [15] ở kích thước khoảng 86 cm với sức sinh sản tuyệt độ đạt 16 triệu trứng [16]. ...
Ecological risk assessments of the oceanic tuna fisheries on the secondary species in the Sea of Vietnam were conducted following the productivity and susceptibility analysis (PSA) method suggested by Marine Stewardship Council. The secondary species were identified through compilation and analysis of data collected in 67 observer trips conducted on board of commercial tuna fisheries by Research Institute for Marine Fisheries (RIMF) and WWF-Vietnam during the period 2000-2016. The consequence analysis pointed out that there were 12 secondary species of tuna fisheries which were taken into PSA analysis. The results indicated that most of species were at medium and low risk level. Species considered at medium risk are Pelagic thresher (Alopias pelagicus), Blue shark (Prionace glauca), Scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri), Escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum), Indo-Pacific sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) and at low risk are Longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol), Swordfish (Xiphias gladius), Snake mackerel (Gempylus serpens), Black marlin (Makaira indica), Indo-Pacific blue marlin (M. mazara) and Common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus). Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) and Bigeye Tuna (T. obesus) are target species and both at ecologically low risk level. The results also showed that tuna handline fishery has less impacts on group of secondary species compared to longline fishery.
... *estimate for female. , 2012), 5 (Torres Jr., 1991; Wu et al., 2001; Chang et al., 2013), 6 (Observers Data base), 7 (Observers Data base), 8 (Observers Data base), 9 (Grant et al., 1978; Torres Jr, 1991; Paul, 1992; Kailola et al., 1993; Annala, 1994), 10 (Nakamura, 1985; Cyr et al., 1990; Speare, 2003 Speare, , 2007 Romanov and Romanova, 2012; Sun et al., 2015), 11 (Nakamura, 1985; Chiang et al., 2004 Chiang et al., , 2006a Romanov and Romanova, 2012), 12(Nakamura, 1985; Kailola et al., 1993; Kopf et al., 2011; Romanov and Romanova, 2012), 13 (Nakamura, 1985; Cyr et al., 1990; Shimose et al., 2008; Sun et al., 2009; Romanov and Romanova, 2012), 14 (Potier et al., 2011), 15 (Gon, 1990), 16 (Al-Baz et al., 1999), 17 (Zischke et al., 2013; Observers Data base), 18 (Landau, 1965; Muthiah, 1985, 1990; Collette, 2010), 44 (Claro, 1994), 45 (Claro, 1994), 46 (Brown-Petersen et al., 2000; McBride et al., 2008; Viana et al., 2013), 47 (Bök and Oray, 2001; Macías et al., 2005a; Palandri et al., 2009), 48 (Grudtsev and Korolevich, 1986; Cayré et al., 1993), 49 (Rodriguez-Roda, 1979; Diouf, 1980; Collette and Nauen, 1983; Collette et al., 2011c), 50(Batts, 1972; Cayré and Farrugio, 1986; Vilela and Castello, 1993; Andrade and Campos, 2002; Andrade et al., 2004, Castello, 2007), 51 (Castello and Gagliardi, 1969; Postel, 1955; Hansen, 1989; Macías et al., 2005b; Zaboukas and Megalofonou, 2007), 52 (Lima et al., 2007; Nóbrega and Lessa, 2009a,b; Chellappa et al., 2010), 53 (Finucane et al., 1986; Lessa et al., 2009a; Nóbrega and Lessa, 2009c), 54 (Finucane and Collins, 1984; Juan-Jordá et al., 2013b), 55 (Bard, 1981; Lee and Yeh, 2007; ICCAT, 2008 ICCAT, , 2011 ICCAT, , 2014), 56 (Hazin, 1993; Arocha et al., 2001; Lessa and Duarte-Neto, 2004; IGFA, 2010), 57 (Doray et al., 2004; Freire, 2009; IGFA, 2010; Bezerra et al., 2013), 58 (Parks et al., 1982; Duarte-Neto et al., 2012; Figueiredo, 2007higher values of k when compared to target species (T), lower values of L 50 when compared to BY/KC and smaller values of L max than those categorized as T and BY/KC (P < 0.05, Fig. 4). No difference was observed between fishery attributes (P > 0.05). ...
... Units: Lmax (cm), Amax (years), k (cm.year-1), L50 (cm), A50 (years), Fec (millions of oocyts), L50/Lmax (no unit 1 (Observers Data base), 2 (Observers Data base), 3 (Observers Data base), 4 (Allen and Erdmann, 2012), 5 (Torres Jr., 1991;Wu et al., 2001;Chang et al., 2013), 6 (Observers Data base), 7 (Observers Data base), 8 (Observers Data base), 9 (Grant et al., 1978;Torres Jr, 1991;Paul, 1992;Kailola et al., 1993;Annala, 1994), 10 (Nakamura, 1985;Cyr et al., 1990;Speare, 2003Speare, , 2007Romanov and Romanova, 2012;Sun et al., 2015), 11 (Nakamura, 1985;Chiang et al., 2004Chiang et al., , 2006aRomanov and Romanova, 2012), 12 (Nakamura, 1985;Kailola et al., 1993;Kopf et al., 2011;Romanov and Romanova, 2012), 13 (Nakamura, 1985;Cyr et al., 1990;Shimose et al., 2008;Sun et al., 2009;Romanov and Romanova, 2012), 14 (Potier et al., 2011), 15 (Gon, 1990), 16 (Al-Baz et al., 1999), 17 (Zischke et al., 2013; Observers Data base), 18 (Landau, 1965;Muthiah, 1985;Assadi et al., 1997;Rohit et al., 2012a), 19 (Collette and Nauen, 1983) (Gon, 1990;Collette, 2010), 44 (Claro, 1994), 45 (Claro, 1994), 46 (Brown-Petersen et al., 2000;McBride et al., 2008;Viana et al., 2013), 47 (Bök and Oray, 2001;Macías et al., 2005a;Palandri et al., 2009), 48 (Grudtsev and Korolevich, 1986;Cayré et al., 1993), 49 (Rodriguez-Roda, 1979Diouf, 1980;Collette and Nauen, 1983;Collette et al., 2011c), 50 (Batts, 1972;Cayré and Farrugio, 1986;Vilela and Castello, 1993;Andrade and Campos, 2002;Andrade et al., 2004, Castello, 2007, 51 (Castello and Gagliardi, 1969;Postel, 1955;Hansen, 1989;Macías et al., 2005b;Zaboukas and Megalofonou, 2007), 52 (Lima et al., 2007;Nóbrega and Lessa, 2009a,b;Chellappa et al., 2010), 53 (Finucane et al., 1986;Lessa et al., 2009a;Nóbrega and Lessa, 2009c), 54 (Finucane and Collins, 1984;Juan-Jordá et al., 2013b), 55 (Bard, 1981;Lee and Yeh, 2007;ICCAT, 2008ICCAT, , 2011ICCAT, , 2014, 56 (Hazin, 1993;Arocha et al., 2001;Lessa and Duarte-Neto, 2004;IGFA, 2010), 57 (Doray et al., 2004;Freire, 2009;IGFA, 2010;Bezerra et al., 2013), 58 (Parks et al., 1982;Duarte-Neto et al., 2012;Figueiredo, 2007;ICCAT, 2014), 59 (Kadison et al., 2010 and Observers Data base), 60 (Hazin et al., 2001Quelle et al., 2014 and Observers Data base). ...
... In large oceanic pelagic fish such as tuna and billfish, otoliths, scales, finrays, vertebrae, sagittae, and operculae have been used successfully for this purpose (Casselman, 1983). The annual periodicity of growth marks have also been validated using marginal increment analysis (Allman et al., 2005;Lou, 1992), length frequency analysis (Hoedt, 1992;Habib, 1977), marginal increment analysis of otolith (Cerna and Licandeo, 2009;Butler and Rowland, 2008;McBride et al., 2008;Allman et al., 2005) or mark recapture analysis involving injection of oxytetracyline and other flurochromes (Gallangher and Nolan, 1999;Francis et al., 1992;Lou, 1992). ...
... Dentre as quatro estruturas analisadas, a única que não apresentou padrão no seu formato foi à escama, não havendo visualização de anéis. MacBride, Richardson & Maki [4] observou que para esta espécie não há visualização de anéis em escamas. ...
Introdução A cavala-empinge (Acanthocybium solandri, Cuvier, 1832), família Scombridae, é um peixe oceânico, pelágico com distribuição tropical e subtropical em águas dos oceanos Pacífico, Índico e Atlântico, incluindo os mares Mediterrâneo e do Caribe (Collette, 1983). No Brasil é capturada principalmente na região nordeste, incluindo Fernando de Noronha e o Arquipélago São Pedro e São Paulo (ASPSP) Viana, Hazin, Nunes, Carvalho, Véras & Travassos [1]. Pode atingir mais de 210 cm de comprimento zoológico e aproximadamente 80 kg Collette & Nauem [2]. Alguns dos métodos de determinação da idade em peixes dependem do habitat e o histórico das fases de vida dos animais; na maioria dos casos a análise de estruturas calcificadas contém informações da idade (anéis etários), essas estruturas podem ser escamas, vértebras, espinhos da nadadeira dorsal e otólitos, Jones [3]. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo de identificar a estrutura que permite as estimativas de idade mais acuradas para a cavala-empinge.
... Subsequently, macroscopic and microscopic examination of ovaries has determined the reproductive biology of females in the Atlantic Ocean (Hogarth 1976;Brown-Peterson et al. 2000;Figuerola-Fernández et al. 2008;Jenkins and McBride 2009). Most recently in the Atlantic, Jenkins and McBride (2009) estimated the fork length (FL) at which 50 % of females reach maturity (L 50 ) to be 925 mm, and corresponds to an age of less than one year (McBride et al. 2008). They found females to spawn during a period of 4 months in summer (May-August), releasing batches of 0.45-1.67 million oocytes every 5 days on average during that time (Jenkins and McBride 2009). ...
A dearth of basic biological information for wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri, currently hinders the ability of scientists and managers to assess population sustainability and appropriately manage the dramatically increasing global catch. This study examined the gonads of 382 wahoo collected off eastern Australia during 2008–2011 to quantify their reproductive biology in the region. The overall sex ratio of the sample was 3.2:1 (females:males), however this differed significantly among fishing sectors and areas. The estimated fork length at which 50 % of female wahoo reach maturity was 1,046 mm. Similar to the Atlantic Ocean, female wahoo have a protracted summer spawning season during October-February. The mean spawning frequency of female wahoo was uncertain but may be approximately 2–3 days, with evidence of fish actively spawning on consecutive days. Batch fecundity of females was positively correlated with fish size and estimates ranged between 0.65 and 5.12 million oocytes. Relative fecundity was estimated at 122.0 (±9.7) oocytes per gram of ovary free body weight and did not differ with fish size or throughout the spawning season. Estimation of reproductive parameters such as size- and age-at-maturity may facilitate the construction of per-recruit stock assessments of wahoo in the region.
... average percentage error or coefficient of variation) are used to report the precision (Beamish and Fournier 1981;Chang 1982;Campana 2001). Age is among the most influential of biological variables as several key biological parameters used in demographic and fishery assessments are commonly expressed as a function of age (McBride et al. 2008;Tovar-Ávila et al. 2009). Age overestimation, for example, inevitably leads to demographic parameters that produce overly optimistic prognoses in fishery stock assessment (Summerfelt and Hall 1987;Campana 2001).Therefore, in several cases, ageing error has contributed to the development of improper management strategies (Beamish and McFarlane 1985), which in turn resulted in overexploitation of some populations or species such as the orange roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus, off New Zealand (Campana 2001). ...
Four methods for counting growth bands using vertebrae and dorsal-fin spines of the Port Jackson shark, Heterodontus portusjacksoni, are compared. Both calcified structures presented observable growth bands, allowing cross comparison among structures for the first time in a shark species. Whole and sectioned vertebrae and dorsal fin-spines possess highly visible growth bands and intra-reader band counts resulted in similar precision indices with little systematic bias. However, inter-reader growth band count plots showed possible biases in counts from sectioned vertebrae and sectioned dorsal-fin spines. Sectioned vertebrae and whole and sectioned dorsal-fin spines produced similar growth band counts, whereas whole vertebrae produced significantly lower counts. The similar readability, precision indices, growth band counts and apparent absence of biases between counts for a single reader would indicate that sectioned vertebrae and whole and sectioned dorsal-fin spines are both potentially useful and acceptable methods for band counting. However, inter-reader comparisons are necessary to avoid acceptance of biased estimations, resulting in over-or under-estimations of age. Validation for all age classes is essential to determining accurate age estimations for this and other species.
... average percentage error or coefficient of variation) are used to report the precision (Beamish and Fournier 1981;Chang 1982;Campana 2001). Age is among the most influential of biological variables as several key biological parameters used in demographic and fishery assessments are commonly expressed as a function of age (McBride et al. 2008;Tovar-Ávila et al. 2009). Age overestimation, for example, inevitably leads to demographic parameters that produce overly optimistic prognoses in fishery stock assessment (Summerfelt and Hall 1987;Campana 2001).Therefore, in several cases, ageing error has contributed to the development of improper management strategies (Beamish and McFarlane 1985), which in turn resulted in overexploitation of some populations or species such as the orange roughy, Hoplostethus atlanticus, off New Zealand (Campana 2001). ...
Four methods for counting growth bands using vertebrae and dorsal-fin spines of the Port Jackson shark, Heterodontus portusjacksoni, are compared. Both calcified structures presented observable growth bands, allowing cross comparison among structures for the first time in a shark species. Whole and sectioned vertebrae and dorsal fin-spines possess highly visible growth bands and intra-reader band counts resulted in similar precision indices with little systematic bias. However, inter-reader growth band count plots showed possible biases in counts from sectioned vertebrae and sectioned dorsal-fin spines. Sectioned vertebrae and whole and sectioned dorsal-fin spines produced similar growth band counts, whereas whole vertebrae produced significantly lower counts. The similar readability, precision indices, growth band counts and apparent absence of biases between counts for a single reader would indicate that sectioned vertebrae and whole and sectioned dorsal-fin spines are both potentially useful and acceptable methods for band counting. However, inter-reader comparisons are necessary to avoid acceptance of biased estimations, resulting in over- or under-estimations of age. Validation for all age classes is essential to determining accurate age estimations for this and other species.
... Generation times for wahoo have not been extensively studied and are thus not precisely known. However, a recent study found wahoo in the western Atlantic Ocean (n = 522) to be reproductive as young as 10 months and as old as 9 years (mean = 1.9 years, median = 1.5 years) with 50% maturity at 1.3 years (McBride et al. 2008). Thus, it appears that about half of all wahoo are not yet reproductive by the end of their first potential spawning year, which implies a minimum mean generation time of perhaps 2 years. ...
The population genetic structure and phylogeography of wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri, were investigated on a global scale with intron six of lactate dehydrogenase-A (ldhA6, 8 locations, N = 213) and mtDNA cytochrome b (Cytb, 10 locations, N = 322). Results show extensive sharing of haplotypes across the wahoo's entire global range, and analyses were unable to detect significant structure (nuclear F(ST) = 0.0125, P = 0.106; mtDNA Phi(ST) < 0.0001, P = 0.634). Power analyses indicated 95% confidence in detecting nuclear F(ST) > or = 0.0389 and mtDNA Phi(ST) > or = 0.0148. These findings appear unique, as most other tunas, billfishes, and oceanic sharks exhibit significant population structure on the scale of East-West Atlantic, Atlantic vs. Indian-Pacific, or East-West Pacific. Overall nuclear heterozygosity (H = 0.714) and mtDNA haplotype diversity (h = 0.918) are both high in wahoo, while overall mtDNA nucleotide diversity (pi = 0.006) and nuclear nucleotide diversity (pi = 0.004) are uniformly low, indicating a recent increase in population size. Coalescence analyses yield an estimate of effective female population size (NeF) at approximately 816,000, and a population bottleneck approximately 690,000 years ago. However, conclusions about population history from our Cytb data set are not concordant with a control region survey, a finding that will require further investigation. This is the first example of a vertebrate with a single globally distributed population, a finding we attribute to extensive dispersal at all life stages. The indications of a worldwide stock for wahoo reinforce the mandate for international cooperation on fisheries issues.
This paper presents a preliminary exercise of Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) using the DLMtool toolkit to test the performance of a variety of management procedures (MPs) for the Northwest Atlantic wahoo. In this analysis, nine management procedures (MP) were selected to be included in the MSE run in order to evaluate the performance of each MP and its effectiveness for management advice. The chosen MPs were based on catch ("AvC","CC1","SPMSY" and "DBSRA"), length ("LBSPR","minlenLopt1" and "matlenlim"), and fishing effort controls ("curE" and "curE75"). Our preliminary results show that catch-based methods are the most acceptable with respect to the pre-established threshold values for the performance metrics. Simulations of the length-based and fishing effort control methods did not present satisfactory results with respect to the annual variability in yield and probability of spawning biomass being higher than spawning biomass at maximum sustainable yield. However, results must be interpreted with caution given the high uncertainty in the parametrization of the operating model, which might be strongly influence the performance of MPs.
This paper presents a preliminary exercise of Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) using the DLMtool toolkit to test the performance of a variety of management procedures (MPs) for the Northwest Atlantic wahoo. In this analysis, nine management procedures (MP) were selected to be included in the MSE run in order to evaluate the performance of each MP and its effectiveness for management advice. The chosen MPs were based on catch ("AvC","CC1","SPMSY" and "DBSRA"), length ("LBSPR","minlenLopt1" and "matlenlim"), and fishing effort controls ("curE" and "curE75"). Our preliminary results show that catch-based methods are the most acceptable with respect to the pre-established threshold values for the performance metrics. Simulations of the length-based and fishing effort control methods did not present satisfactory results with respect to the annual variability in yield and probability of spawning biomass being higher than spawning biomass at maximum sustainable yield. However, results must be interpreted with caution given the high uncertainty in the parametrization of the operating model, which might be strongly influence the performance of MPs.
Large scombrids, commercial tuna species, are regularly assessed and managed. However, most of the small scombrids, many mackerels and bonitos, lack accurate catch data to implement traditional stock assessments despite their economic importance in many small-scale fisheries. In this study, we analysed different approaches using length composition data from multiple fleets with different gear selectivity to assess small scombrids in the Atlantic Ocean. Using simulated populations, we compared two length-based methods (length-based spawning potential ratio and length-based integrated mixed effects), under different length data grouping scenarios. We found that using length data from the fleet targeting the broadest range of sizes resulted in the lowest bias in spawning potential ratio of all options tested. Based on these results, we used biological and length data to estimate a quantitative proxy of current stock status for ten small scombrid stocks in the Atlantic Ocean. We found that some stocks are likely to be overfished, such as little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus) in the Southeast Atlantic and wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) in the Northwest Atlantic. This is a starting point in the estimation of stock status for these species, but should not be thought of as a replacement for other more data-intensive assessments.
This study reports the diet composition of 363 wahoo Acanthocybium solandri captured from the Indo-Pacific. The study also provides the first estimates of consumption and daily ration for the species worldwide, which are important parameters for ecosystem models and may improve ecosystem-based fisheries management. Thirty-four prey taxa were identified from A. solandri stomachs with Scombridae having the highest relative importance. Actinopterygii comprised 96% of the total prey wet mass, of which 29% were epipelagic fishes, with 22% alone from Scombridae. There was no significant relationship between fish size and the size of prey items consumed. Feeding intensity, as measured by stomach fullness, did not significantly differ either among seasons or reproductive activity. The mean daily consumption rate was estimated as 344 g day−1, which corresponded to a mean daily ration of 2·44% body mass day−1. The results from this study suggest A. solandri is an opportunistic predator similar to other pelagic piscivores, worldwide.
L'objectif général de cette thèse est d'étudier les relations alimentaires entre différents prédateurs d'intérêt local, appartenant à plusieurs compartiments écologiques. L'échantillonnage, réalisé entre janvier 2012 et décembre 2014 en partenariat avec la filière pêche, s'est concentré sur les principales espèces d'intérêt commercial ou en interactions avec les pêcheries (captures accessoires et déprédateurs). La détermination des sources de matière organique dont elles dépendent, de leurs relations interspécifiques, ainsi que des facteurs de variation de leurs alimentations, a été réalisée grâce à l'analyse des isotopes stables du carbone (δ13C) et de l'azote (δ15N), ainsi que celle des contenus stomacaux. Bien qu'associées au substrat, les espèces profondes (100-600m) dépendent indirectement de la production primaire de surface via leurs proies qui effectuent des migrations verticales dans la colonne d'eau. Cette dépendance aux organismes mésopélagiques induit un chevauchement alimentaire globalement important entre ces espèces, atténué par l'occupation de zones bathymétriques différentes. Concernant les espèces de surface, celles-ci se répartissent selon un gradient côte-large, formant trois groupes aux régimes alimentaires distincts. Les requins tigre semblent former une population homogène constituée d'individus généralistes tandis que les requins bouledogue forment une population hétérogène d'individus spécialisés sur des ressources différentes. Ces résultats indiquent qu'une approche centrée sur l'habitat conviendrait à la gestion des espèces profondes, tandis qu'une approche centrée sur les espèces serait plus efficiente pour les espèces de surface.
The scombrids (Family Scombridae), commonly known as tunas, bonitos, Spanish mackerels, and mackerels, play an important role as predators and prey in coastal and oceanic marine ecosystems, and sustain some of the most important fisheries in the world. Knowledge of their basic biology and life history traits, such as growth, age and maturity, is fundamental to sustainably manage these species, and maintain their critical role in marine ecosystems. Given the economic and social importance of their fisheries in many regions throughout the world, numerous life history studies have been conducted in the last century. Despite efforts to create global repositories of life history parameters, e.g. FishBase, many life history studies remain scattered and not readily accessible. Here, we compiled 667 life history studies published between 1933 and 2012 describing the growth, age, and reproductive biology of the 51 species of scombrids distributed around the world and create a standardized life history dataset including maximum size, longevity, growth, maturity, fecundity, spawning season and frequency, and egg size information. We created this dataset to promote the best use of the existing life history information and with the intention of providing a data resource suitable to test large-scale ecological hypotheses on life history strategies and life history evolution, as well as support the management and conservation of this important group of commercially exploited species. We envisage the large repository of standardized life history data compiled will make this endeavor more effective and robust by providing a valuable resource that can help address many research questions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The scombrids (Family Scombridae), commonly known as tunas, bonitos, Spanish mackerels, and mackerels, play an important role as predators and prey in coastal and oceanic marine ecosystems, and sustain some of the most important fisheries in the world. Knowledge of their basic biology and life history traits, such as growth, age, and maturity, is fundamental to sustainably manage these species, and maintain their critical role in marine ecosystems. Given the economic and social importance of their fisheries in many regions throughout the world, numerous life history studies have been conducted in the last century. Despite efforts to create global repositories of life history parameters, e.g., FishBase, many life history studies remain scattered and not readily accessible. Here, we compiled 667 life history studies published between 1933 and 2012 describing the growth, age, and reproductive biology of the 51 species of scombrids distributed around the world and create a standardized life history data set including maximum size, longevity, growth, maturity, fecundity, spawning season and frequency, and egg size information. We created this data set to promote the best use of the existing life history information and with the intention of providing a data resource suitable to test large‐scale ecological hypotheses on life history strategies and life history evolution, as well as support the management and conservation of this important group of commercially exploited species. We envisage the large repository of standardized life history data compiled will make this endeavor more effective and robust by providing a valuable resource that can help address many research questions.
Oceanic epipelagic fishes live most or all of their lives in blue water environments, far from continental coasts. Many oceanic epipelagic species are of major commercial importance and provide a significant proportion of harvested fish biomass. However, the inaccessibility of their environment has made studies of their biology—and in particular their reproductive biology—extremely difficult. This chapter focuses on the reproduction and development of oceanic epipelagic fishes. It describes four orders of true oceanic epipelagic fishes: Lampriformes (Lampridae, opahs), Beloniformes, three suborders of the Perciformes (Xiphioidei, Percoidei, and Scombroidei); and Tetraodontiformes (Molidae, ocean sunfishes). The chapter examines selected species in terms of distribution; maximum size; all-tackle game fish record; longevity; sexual dimorphism; size at first maturity; spawning location, season, and temperature; migrations; breeding habits; fecundity; egg characteristics; and sources of larval illustrations, followed by comments on fishery importance and threat status of the species using the Red List categories of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Recreational fisheries are undergoing increasing participation, specialisation and fishing power and contribute significantly to the total catch of several species. The specialised recreational pelagic sport fishery off eastern Australia was studied using a 12-month daytime access point survey. Sport fishing comprised 15% of the fishing trips of the 7243 recreational fishers intercepted, with the majority of fishers being male (90%) and not members of a fishing club (89%). Fishing effort, catch rates and total estimated catch varied temporally, spatially and between fishing club and non-fishing club members. A total of 25 pelagic species were retained or released by fishers and catch rates were very low (0.001–0.047 fish h−1). A generalised additive model incorporating environmental variables provided a useful alternative to traditional direct estimation methods for estimating total annual catch. Estimated sport fishing effort (±S.E.) was 63,802 (±5114) angler hours in 2010. Estimated total catch (±S.E.) for yellowtail kingfish, Spanish mackerel and wahoo ranged between 4.61 (±1.39) and 11.61 (±4.00) t and was equivalent to 27–206% of the 2010 commercial catch for these species. These results demonstrate that the catch from small specialised recreational fisheries can be significant and need to be considered in stock and resource allocation assessments.
This contribution summarizes aspects of the biology of the wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri (Scombridae), that are pertinent to assessment and management of this species in the western central Atlantic (WCA). In this region wahoo is a target species for both commercial and recreational fisheries, and annual landings appear to have increased steadily over the last 30 years to in excess of 2000 mt. Wahoo is believed to be migratory, but little is known of the migration patterns. Significant seasonal variation in catches within the region indicates that it is seasonally abundant in most locations. Periods of peak abundance occur from the fall through spring in the southeastern and northern Caribbean islands, and are restricted to the warmer months (late spring through early fall) in the more northerly locations (northern Gulf of Mexico, North Carolina, and Bermuda). Wahoo exhibits early sexual maturity (within the first year) and a spawning season that extends from at least May to October. Females are multiple batch spawners and are highly fecund. Limited age and growth studies indicate that it is a relatively fast-growing species, has high mortality, and probably lives for 5-6 years. Wahoo is primarily piscivorous, although some invertebrates including squids are eaten. A relatively small number of parasite species have been associated with it. There is no evidence of more than a single shared stock of wahoo in the WCA, and recent genetic studies, using RAPD markers, suggest that stock boundaries may extend beyond this region. The status of the wahoo resource in the WCA remains unclear. Reliable wahoo catch and fishing effort data from the entire WCA, improved knowledge of migration patterns, reproductive characteristics and critical habitat (e.g., preferred spawning areas), validation of age, growth and mortality estimates, and a more comprehensive analysis of stock structure for the entire Atlantic are needed for informed wahoo stock assessment and management.
Many calcified structures produce periodic growth increments useful for age determination at the annual or daily scale. However, age determination is invariably accompanied by various sources of error, some of which can have a serious effect on age-structured calculations. This review highlights the best available methods for insuring ageing accuracy and quantifying ageing precision, whether in support of large-scale production ageing or a small-scale research project. Included in this review is a critical overview of methods used to initiate and pursue an accurate and controlled ageing program, including (but not limited to) validation of an ageing method. The distinction between validation of absolute age and increment periodicity is emphasized, as is the importance of determining the age of first increment formation. Based on an analysis of 372 papers reporting age validation since 1983, considerable progress has been made in age validation efforts in recent years. Nevertheless, several of the age validation methods which have been used routinely are of dubious value, particularly marginal increment analysis. The two major measures of precision, average percent error and coefficient of variation, are shown to be functionally equivalent, and a conversion factor relating the two is presented. Through use of quality control monitoring, ageing errors are readily detected and quantified; reference collections are the key to both quality control and reduction of costs. Although some level of random ageing error is unavoidable, such error can often be corrected after the fact using statistical (‘digital sharpening)’ methods.
The wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri (Cuvier, 1832), is a pelagic, highly migratory, scombroid fish, distributed worldwide throughout tropical and warm temperate seas. To evaluate population genetic and phylogeographic structure against a null hypothesis of panmixia, the entire mitochondrial DNA control-region (~890 base pairs) was sequenced for 231 wahoo. Samples were collected from 1997 to 2001 from seven sites: North Carolina (NC; n=23), east central Florida (CF; n=30), Bimini, Bahamas (BB; n=40), southern tip of Florida (SF; n=21), Cayman Islands (CI; n=23), northern Gulf of Mexico (NG; n=54), and Hawaii (HI; n=40). Inter-annual samples were obtained from four of these locations (NC, BB, SF, NG). Seventeen haplotypes were shared by individuals within and among samples; 187 singleton haplotypes were observed. Within-sample haplotype diversities ranged from 0.995 to 1.000 (overall h=0.999) and within-sample nucleotide diversities ranged from 0.049 to 0.055 (overall π=0.053). A neighbor-joining tree based on inter-haplotypic distances revealed two monophyletic lineages differing by 13.6% nucleotide divergence. Nested within each major lineage were several, well-supported subclades. There was no evidence of temporal heterogeneity in haplotype distributions. Partitioning mtDNA variation, 99.75% of the variance was within samples and 0.25% (P=0.307) between samples; the fixation index (Φ
ST=0.0025) was not significant. Likewise, pairwise Φ
ST values were low or negative, and none were significant on a table-wide basis. Exact tests for sample differentiation in haplotypes were also non-significant. All population analyses were consistent with the null hypothesis of panmixia. However, analytical power was limited by sample size. Mismatch distributions were inconsistent with expected distributions based on sudden-expansion and static-growth models. Wahoo exhibit concurrently high haplotype and nucleotide diversities, presumably a consequence of secondary contact between historical subpopulations rather than a long, stable evolutionary history. Given the level of geographic and individual sampling, wahoo thus far represent the sole example of a scombroid or xiphioid fish exhibiting coarse-grain genetic homogeneity across a broad, inter-oceanic range despite a deeply coalescing genealogical structure. Accordingly, cooperative fishery management on a broad, inter-ocean scale may be warranted.
The distribution of circumtropical marine species is limited by continental boundaries, cold temperate conditions, and oceanic expanses, but some of these barriers are permeable over evolutionary time scales. Sister taxa that evolved in separate ocean basins can come back into contact, and the consequences of this renewed sympatry may be a key to understanding evolutionary processes in marine organisms. The circumtropical trumpetfishes (Aulostomus) include a West Atlantic species (A. maculatus), an Indian-Pacific species (A. chinensis), and an East Atlantic species (A. strigosus) that may be the product of a recent invasion from the Indian Ocean. To resolve patterns of divergence and speciation, we surveyed 480 bp of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b in 196 individuals from 16 locations. Based on a conventional molecular clock of 2% sequence divergence per million years, the deepest partitions in a neighbor-joining tree (d = 0.063-0.082) are consistent with separation of West Atlantic and Indian-Pacific species by the Isthmus of Panama, 3-4 million years ago. By the same criteria, trumpetfish in the East Atlantic were isolated from the Indian Ocean about 2.5 million years ago (d = 0.044-0.054), coincident with the advent of glacial cycles and cold-water upwelling around South Africa. Continental barriers between tropical oceans have only rarely been surmounted by trumpetfishes, but oceanic barriers do not appear to be substantial, as indicated by weak population partitioning (phiST = 0.093) in A. chinensis across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Finally, morphological and mitochondrial DNA data indicate hybridization of A. strigosus and A. maculatus in Brazil. After 3-4 million years and a globe-spanning series of vicariant and dispersal events, trumpetfish lineages have come back into contact in the southwest Atlantic and appear to be merging. This ring species phenomenon may occur in a broad array of marine organisms, with clear implications for the production and maintenance of biodiversity in marine ecosystems.
Age, growth, and reproductive data were obtained from dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus, size range: 89 to 1451 mm fork length [FL]) collected between May 2002 and May 2004 off North Carolina. Annual increments from scales (n = 541) and daily increments from sagittal otoliths (n = 107) were examined; estimated von Bertalanffy parameters were L∞ (asymptotic length) = 1299 mm FL and k (growth coefficient) = 1.08/yr. Daily growth increments reduced much of the residual error in length-at-age estimates for age-0 dolphinfish; the estimated average growth rate was 3.78 mm/day during the first six months. Size at 50% maturity was slightly smaller for female (460 mm FL) than male (475 mm FL) dolphinfish. Based on monthly length-adjusted gonad weights, peak spawning occurs from April through July off North Carolina; back-calculated hatching dates from age-0 dolphinfish and prior reproductive studies on the east coast of Florida indicate that dolphinfish spawning occurs year round off the U.S. east coast and highest levels range from January through June. No major changes in length-at-age or size-at-maturity have occurred since the early 1960s, even after substantial increases in fishery landings.
The assumptions necessary to obtain a valid estimate of survival rate from a single catch curve are discussed. An example of the best estimate of survival rate and its variance is worked out for the case that age is known exactly for the entire sample. A test for validity of the model is illustrated. Methods of estimating the survival rate are also given when some age groups are combined, when an age-length key is used, and when only a segment of the catch curve is usable. A table is provided to facilitate the estimation in this last case.
The population genetic structure and phylogeography of wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri, were investigated on a global scale with intron six of lactate dehydrogenase-A (ldhA6, 8 locations, N = 213) and mtDNA cytochrome b (Cytb, 10 locations, N = 322). Results show extensive sharing of haplotypes across the wahoo's entire global range, and analyses were unable to detect significant structure (nuclear F(ST) = 0.0125, P = 0.106; mtDNA Phi(ST) < 0.0001, P = 0.634). Power analyses indicated 95% confidence in detecting nuclear F(ST) > or = 0.0389 and mtDNA Phi(ST) > or = 0.0148. These findings appear unique, as most other tunas, billfishes, and oceanic sharks exhibit significant population structure on the scale of East-West Atlantic, Atlantic vs. Indian-Pacific, or East-West Pacific. Overall nuclear heterozygosity (H = 0.714) and mtDNA haplotype diversity (h = 0.918) are both high in wahoo, while overall mtDNA nucleotide diversity (pi = 0.006) and nuclear nucleotide diversity (pi = 0.004) are uniformly low, indicating a recent increase in population size. Coalescence analyses yield an estimate of effective female population size (NeF) at approximately 816,000, and a population bottleneck approximately 690,000 years ago. However, conclusions about population history from our Cytb data set are not concordant with a control region survey, a finding that will require further investigation. This is the first example of a vertebrate with a single globally distributed population, a finding we attribute to extensive dispersal at all life stages. The indications of a worldwide stock for wahoo reinforce the mandate for international cooperation on fisheries issues.
Suppose that a sample of N individuals is classified according to two arguments, A and B, in an m by m contingency table and suppose that the categories of classification A are associated in some unique way with the categories of classification B. For example, in the study in which this problem arose the categories were related to the position of plates of stickleback (Gasterosteus) and the two arguments corresponded to right and left sides; it was logical to associate identical patterns on opposite sides. Denote by Pij the probability that a randomly chosen individual belongs to the ith. row and jth column of the table. As usual, a dot indicates summation over the replaced index.
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