Biometric relationships between body and otolith measurements in nine demersal fishes from north-eastern Tasmanian waters, Australia

Abstract

Relationships between fish and otolith measurements were analyzed in nine demersal fishes from the north-eastern Tasmanian waters: Foetorepus calauropomus, Trachurus declivis, Parequula melbournensis, Neosebastes scorpaenoides, Platycephalus aurimaculatus, Platycephalus bassensis, Platycephalus conatus, Lepidotrigla mulhalli and Lepidotrigla vanessa. The values of exponent b from the relationships between fish weight and fish total length, total length and otolith length, total length and otolith width, and fish weight and otolith length were estimated. All above relationships were statistically significant. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the effect of the categorical factor of species in the fish length and otolith length relationship. Significant differences in fish length and otolith length relationship between species were highlighted in both gurnards and flatheads. Results from this study will provide novel information on quantitative biometric relationships between body and otolith measurements of fish species in Australian waters.