AGE AND GROWTH OF RED HIND AND ROCK HIND COLLECTED FROM NORTH-CAROLINA THROUGH THE DRY-TORTUGAS, FLORIDA

Opaque bands on sectioned sagittal otoliths were used to age red hind, Epinephelus guttatus (N = 146), and rock hind, E. adscensionis (N = 1 44), sampled from the recreational headboat fishery between North Caro lina and the Dry Tortugas, Florida, 1980-1992. Marginal increment anal ysis revealed that annuli form from March through May for red hind, an d April and May for rock hind. The maximum age estimated for red hind was 11 years, compared with 12 years for rock hind. Mean back-calculat ed total lengths (in mm) at ages 1, 5, and 10 were similar for both sp ecies: 228-, 358-, and 436-mm for red hind; and 214-, 362-, and 441-mm for rock hind. The von Bertalanffy growth equations for red hind and rock hind were L(t) = 471.4(1 - e(-0.200(t+2.397))), and L(t) = 499.4( 1 - e(-0.167(t+2.495))), respectively, where t = age in years. The len gth-weight relationship for red hind was W = 1.8 X 10(-7)L(2.614), whe re W = weight in kilograms, and was W = 6 X 10(-9)L(3.193) for rock hi nd. Age-length keys are provided for each species. Red and rock hinds appear to grow faster and do not live as long as many serranids from t he southeastern United States.