Abstract
Summary Red-banded seabream Pagrus auriga (N = 615) were caught off the Canary Islands from January 2003 to December 2004. Total length ranged from 120 to 780 mm. The species was characterized by protogynous hermaphroditism. The male :female ratio was in favour of females (1 : 8.2). The reproductive season extended from September to February, with a peak in spawning activity in October–November. Fifty percentage maturity was reached at 387 mm total length by females and 533 mm by males. The length–weight relationship for all individuals was described by the parameters: a = 0.0086 and b = 3.014, when length is given in mm and weight in grams. Otolith age readings indicated that the population consists of 19 age groups, including a very high proportion of individuals between 0 and 7 years old. Growth analysis reveals that the species is slow-growing and relatively long lived (18 years). The von Bertalanffy growth parameters for the entire population were: L∞ = 803 mm, k = 0.081 year−1 and t0 = −2.17 year. Growth differed between males and females. The instantaneous rate of natural mortality for all fish was: M = 0.164 year−1.
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