Das asymptotische Wachstum der Fische - ein Nonsens?

Abstract

Considering an incomplete growth curve of the cod Gadus morhua, Knight (1968) questioned the asymptotic curvature of growth in fishes, which easily may be shown in complete growth curves illustrating the attainment of maximum size. It is also possible to calculate maximum size employing the Ford-Walford formula. Maximum size, calculated in this manner, may also be used in the Bertalanffy function. For other mathematical growth formulations different maximum sizes would be obtained. The numerical value of the maximum size depends upon the mathematical interpretation of the growth process. Therefore it always represents a mathematical parameter without biological meaning. It is shown that data of Ketchen (Forrester 1966) on growth in ♂ ♂ of the flat fish Eopsetta jordani may be much better represented by the new growth formula (Krüger 1965) than by the Bertalanffy function. © 1969 Biologischen Anstalt Helgoland.