Morphometric Relationships, Age, Growth, and Mortality of the Geoduck Clam,Panopea generosa, Along the Pacific Coast of Baja California, Mexico

Abstract

ABSTRACT A commercial fishery for gcoduck Panopea generosa in Baja California began in 2002 and has since achieved landings comparable with those in Washington state and British Columbia, Canada, where geoduck fisheries developed in 1970 and 1976, respectively. This investigation was motivated to acquire the knowledge of population biology of P. generosa at the southernmost extent of its distribution that is required to establish a biological basis for fishery management decisions. This article was further motivated to assess the appropriateness of the current minimum legal size of 130 mm established by the Mexican fishing authorities. Morphometric relationships, age, and growth, and natural mortality of P. generosa were investigated with animals collected from Bahia de San Quintin and Islas Coronado, Baja California, Mexico, collected monthly from April 2008 through January 2009. Ages were obtained by counting growth bands in cross-sections of the shell hinge plate and utilizing cross-dating methods to i...