AGE AND GROWTH OF VERMILION SNAPPER FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED-STATES

A comprehensive aging study of vermilion snapper, Rhomboplites aurorub ens, was conducted, using 1,465 otoliths collected between 1991 and 19 95 from the commercial and head-boat fisheries from North Carolina thr ough the Florida Keys. An additional 19 otoliths came from fishery-ind ependent samples from the South Atlantic Eight for fish smaller than 2 54 mm total length (TL), which is the legal size limit. Marginal incre ment analysis revealed that rings on the otoliths were deposited annua lly. This observation is further substantiated by the increasing modal radius of each age ring corresponding to the increasing modal size of the fish at age. Observed ages ranged from age 1 (202 mm mean TL) to age 14 (535 mm TL). The largest fish was 600 mm TL and was estimated t o be age 13. The weight-length relationship was described by the equat ion: W = 9.55 X 10(-9)(L)(3.04), where W = whole weight in kilograms a nd L = total length in millimeters. The von Bertalanffy equation was e stimated using the inverse, weighted, backcalculated lengths at the la st annulus. The equation was L-t = 650 (1-e(-0.144(t+0.238))), where t is age in years.