Princess parrotfish Scarus taeniopterus age, growth, maturity, and transition

Abstract

Princess parrotfish Scarus taeniopterus is one of the top three parrotfish species landed in the Caribbean, and the top Scarus species targeted in commercial fishing efforts; however, a paucity of information exists concerning basic life history information for Caribbean parrotfish species. Prior to this work, no comprehensive life history information existed in the literature for princess parrotfish. This study provides the first comprehensive documentation of age, growth, size/age at sexual maturity, and size/age at transition for a Caribbean Scarus species. Sampling of 759 fish occurred in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands from October 2015 to February 2020. Females ranged from 50 to 250 mm total length (TL) and 0 to 7 years of age, males ranged from 159 to 314 mm TL and 2 to 11 years, and transitional fish ranged from 140 to 292 mm TL and 2 to 6 years. Previously unknown von Bertalanffy parameters (L∞ = 301 and k = 0.316) and length at median sexual maturity (LM50 = 119 mm TL), age at median sexual maturity (AM50 = 1.5 years), length at median sexual transition (LS50 = 223 mm TL), and age at median sexual transition (AS50 = 4.2 years) will enable stock assessments and informed management for this Caribbean parrotfish.