Growth Rates of Immature Green Turtles, Chelonia mydas, on Feeding Grounds in the Southern Bahamas

Abstract

Growth in carapace length, carapace width, plastron length and body mass was measured in 149 growth increments for 122 green turtles, Chelonia mydas, at Great Inagua, Rahamas. Initial carapace length of the 149 growth increments ranged from 28.3-75.5 cm. Absolute growth rates for all linear parameters decreased with increasing size, but no significant difference in absolute growth rates for body mass was noted over the size range measured. Equations were developed to convert carapace length or plastron length to mass so that growth in mass could be modeled from data for either linear parameter. Three sizespecific growth models-Von Bertalanffy, Gompertz and logistic-were tested for goodness of fit. The Von Bertalanffy model had the best fit for seven body size parameters. With increasing size, there was a significant negative allometric relationship between carapace width and carapace length, but the relationship between plastron length and carapace length was isometric. Growth rates were compared with those of other green turtle populations. In our study area, green turtles grow more slowly than hawksbills, Eretmochelys imbricata, or loggerheads, Caretta caretta, of similar size.