First estimates of age and growth of juvenile black anglerfish (Lophius budegassa), in north-eastern Atlantic waters

Abstract

Growth increments in the lapilli otoliths of the black anglerfish (Lophius budegassa) were used to investigate its early life history. Assuming that the primary increments are deposited daily, age and hatch dates were determined by counting these increments in the lapilli of 33 juvenile fish collected during autumn bottom trawl surveys in the Bay of Biscay. The estimated ages of juveniles ranged from 71 to 165 days (60 to 202mm total length) while the growth rate ranged from 1.19 to 1.48mmday−1 for that period. The age–length relationship was best described by the power function TL=0.311 age (days)1.26. Hatch date was back-calculated from the date of capture and results indicate a broad spawning season, mainly taking place from May to July. Juveniles of up to 200mm total length collected in October were born the same year and belonged to age class 0. Although the periodicity of the primary increments has not yet been validated, our results, based on this assumption, would corroborate, for the first time using micro-increment analysis, a faster growth pattern of early stages of L. budegassa in Atlantic waters than previously thought, in agreement with the evidence obtained for the species in the Mediterranean Sea.