J. Dulcic et M. Kraljevic, GROWTH OF THE BLACK-SEA BREAM SPONDYLIOSOMA-CANTHARUS (L) IN THE EASTERN MIDDLE ADRIATIC, Archive of fishery and marine research, 44(3), 1996, pp. 279-293
Growth of black sea bream Spondyliosoma cantharus (L.) from the easter
n middle Adriatic was studied using data on the scales, length and wei
ght from 745 fish. Total length ranged between 6.2 and 46.5 cm, while
weight varied between 3 and 2165 g. The von Bertalanffy growth equatio
n was fitted on the basis of mean length-at-age data resulting in para
meter values of L(infinity) = 47.7 cm, K = 0.178 and t(0) = -0.27. Wei
ght growth constants are: W-infinity = 2269.2 g, K = 0.149 and t(0) =
-0.74. Weight increased allometrically for both sexes together with b
= 3.12 and in females alone with b = 3.14, while it increased isometri
cally in males with b = 2.99. The black sea bream is a long-lived spec
ies. The oldest male was estimated to be 14 and female 9 years old. Th
e sex ratio rapidly became skewed in favour of females (3.12:1). Sex r
eversal was mainly observed in age classes 7 and 8. Females were found
only up to a total length of 37.7 cm.