AGE AND GROWTH OF SARPA-SALPA (PISCES, SPARIDAE) OFF THE EAST-COAST OF SOUTH-AFRICA

Ages were estimated for the small sparid Sarpa salpa obtained off the east coast of South Africa, from whole otoliths read under reflected l ight. Growth zones were composed of opaque and translucent zones and o ne opaque band was laid down per year. This was validated by marginal increment analysis and by an oxytetracycline labelling experiment usin g captive fish. The reproducibility of otolith readings was described by an index of average percentage error, which was equal to 3.9%. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters, which adequately described the growth o f S. salpa, were determined. These parameters indicated a rapid growth rate for this species with a maximum age of six years being attained. Growth curves for separate sexes could not be determined because of t he lack of sex-specific data in the younger age classes. (C) 1997 Else vier Science B.V.