GROWTH AND COHORT DYNAMICS OF LARVAL PACIFIC HAKE (MERLUCCIUS-PRODUCTUS)

Size-specific mortality rates and stage-based models predict that fast -growing fish larvae experience lower mortality than slow-growing larv ae. We provide empirical evidence that supports this hypothesis, by co mparing otolith size-at-age of young larval Pacific hake (Merluccius p roductus) with back-calculated otolith size-at-age from older larvae c ollected about 45 days later. The mean back-calculated size-at-age oi the larvae surviving beyond 45 days was greater than the average popul ation growth rate of younger larvae sampled earlier. Thus hake larvae with slow growth rates appear to have suffered higher mortality than l arvae with faster growth rates.