Title of article :
A Preliminary Study of the Age and Growth of Paddletail Snapper Lutjanus gibbus (Forsskål 1775) in Bunaken Marine Park, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Author/Authors :
HOLLOWAY, CEYLENA J. Southern Cross University - School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Marine Ecology Research Centre, Australia , HOLLOWAY, CEYLENA J. Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour Campus - National Marine Science Centre, Australia , BUCHER, DANIEL J. Southern Cross University - School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Marine Ecology Research Centre, Australia , KEARNEY, LEE Southern Cross University - School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Marine Ecology Research Centre, Australia
Abstract :
Paddle tail snapper Lutjanus gibbus (Forsskål 1775) is an important target species of commercial, recreational, artisanal and indigenous fisheries in tropical Indo-Pacific waters, but away from the centre of its distribution it is often avoided as being a high risk for ciguatera poisoning. This study investigated the age and growth of a tropical population of L. gibbus in Bunaken Marine Park, Indonesia. A total of 95 specimens were sampled with fork lengths between 151-312 mm. From growth increments on sectioned otoliths, ages ranged from 1-9 years old, with ages 3 and 4 years being the most common. Growth in length was described by the von Bertalanffy growth function with parameters L∞ = 274 mm (fork length), K = 0.78 and t0 = -0.24. The population of L.gibbus in Bunaken Marine Park consists of fast-growing fish that attain smaller size than populations at higher latitudes, which may possibly contribute to a lower risk of ciguatera poisoning. The fast population turn-over characteristics of L. gibbus indicates the potential of the population to sustain high harvest pressure. However, the lack of management of the fishery could still lead to over-exploitation.
