Evidence of reduced growth rates of anchovy recruits off South Africa in 1989 and 1991

Abstract

The ages of anchovy recruits sampled during winter recruitment surveys in 1985, 1989 and 1991 were determined by counting the daily growth rings on their otoliths. The growth coefficients K calculated for recruits in 1989 (1, 040) and 1991 (1, 180) demonstrate substantially slower growth rates for these two year-classes than for the 1985 year-class (K = 1, 745). Individual variation of length-at-age was highest in 1991 and lowest in 1989. As a result of the slower growth, fish of the same length were markedly older in 1989 and 1991 than in 1985. The results are discussed with reference to environmental conditions in the three years. © 1995 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.