An osteometric approach to reconstruct the length and weight of Lutjanus argentiventris (Perciformes: Lujtanidae) for archaeological and ecological purposes

María Fernanda Martínez-Polanco,Philippe Béarez

doi:10.1590/1982-0224-2019-0106

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lutjanus argentiventris presents a large intertropical distribution within the Eastern Pacific, which is as important to fisheries now as it was in the pre-Hispanic period. The purpose of this article is to present an allometric model that enables the size and weight of L. argentiventris to be predicted, using the isolated bones found in archaeological and paleontological contexts or the stomach contents of ichthyophagous species. A modern collection of L. argentiventris from Ecuador was used, composed of 37 individuals covering a wide range of sizes and weights. The total length (TL), standard length (SL), and total fresh weight (W) of each individual was gathered. The TL of the sample ranged between 210 and 760 mm, the SL between 164 and 627 mm and the W ranged between 123 and 6550 g. The most frequent bones (15) and otoliths were chosen and 39 measurements were taken. The total length-weight relationship was W = 6E-06 TL3.1513 with R 2 = 0.997. In general, it was observed that the relationships between the TL and the bone measurements had a strong correlation (R² > 0.95). The allometric model will be useful not only for archaeologists but also for biologists working on historical ecology.

Highlights

The Lutjanidae family consists of 17 genera and 112 species, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical seas worldwide, but mostly in the Indo-Pacific (Fricke et al, 2020)
The measurements relating to the maximal length of the element were well correlated with the total length (TL)
Some degree of similarity was observed between the “b” values of the length-weight relationship obtained in this study and those from previous studies from Mexico, Panama and Colombia (Tab. 4). These results indicate that Lutjanus argentiventris has a similar, often isometric, growth all along its range

Summary

Introduction

The Lutjanidae family consists of 17 genera and 112 species, which are distributed in tropical and subtropical seas worldwide, but mostly in the Indo-Pacific (Fricke et al, 2020). In the Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP), the catch is less, L. argentiventris is an important species for small-scale fisheries (e.g. Alava et al, 2015). A long-term study (1983–1998) of artisanal marine fisheries in Colima, Mexico, shows that L. argentiventris is the seventh most abundant species in the region’s catches (Espino-Barr et al, 2002). In the southwestern Gulf of California, Mexico, L. argentiventris is among the eight most commercially important reef fishes (Erisman et al, 2010). It is normally captured using various types of craft nets, gillnets, harpoons, and hook-and-lines (Rojas et al, 2004; Lucano-Ramírez et al, 2014)

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