A preliminary estimate of age and growth of the dusky sharkCarcharhinus obscurusfrom the South-West Indian Ocean, with comparisons to the western North Atlantic population

Abstract

Age and growth of the dusky shark Carcarhinus obscurus from the South-West Indian Ocean was determined from bands in the vertebrae of 42 individuals. Age to maturity was estimated at 20,5 years for males and between 17 and 24 years for females. The oldest fish examined was a 34-year-old female. The Von Bertalanffy parameters calculated for the sexes combined were: L ∞ = 334, K = 0,047 and t 0 = −5,18. The growth rate of dusky sharks from the South-West Indian Ocean was similar to that of the western North Atlantic population.