Age and growth of Cetengraulis edentulus (Clupeiformes: Engraulidae) in a subtropical bight of Southern Coast Brazil

Abstract

Age and growth of Cetengraulis edentulus (Cuvier, 1828) in the Saco dos Limões bight (Southern Brazil) were studied. Sampling was carried out from August 2001 to July 2003. The study of age and growth was based on the interpretation of the periodicity of ring formation in the otoliths sagittae of 491 individuals, temporal variation of otolith edge, relative marginal increments (RMI), age-length key, and von Bertalanffy curve. Cetengraulis edentulus otoliths were adequate for the interpretation of age with 86% of legibility, in which a translucent zone and its adjacent opaque zone were deposited each year. The translucent zone is formed during the cold period and the opaque zone in the warm period. Fish aged 0 (<12 months) - 4.0 year old were found and the population structure reveals the predominance of individuals 1.0 and 2.0 year old. The species has a fast growth, and the growth equation is L t = 156.70 (1 - e - 1.05 (t - 0.002)). Cetengraulis edentulus attains the sexual maturity with 1.19 year for the females and 1.12 year for the males, which occur in all life stages throughout the year in the study area. © 2011 Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia.