AGING ON SIGHT OF 4-SPOT MEGRIM, LEPIDORHOMBUS-BOSCII (RISSO) OTOLITHS AND THEIR VALIDATION

Age of four spot megrim, Lepiidorhombus boscii (Risso), is generally d etermined by reading otoliths by binocular microscope. This paper cons iders the possibility of ageing this species using on sight otolith re ading during extraction. It was concluded that there is high concurren ce between on sight and binocular microscope reading in younger indivi duals, and maximum ages for four spot megrim are established below whi ch on sight readings of the otoliths are considered to have a high lev el of accuracy. These maximum ages vary according to sex and the ICES subdivision studied. This method has an advantage in economy of time, avoiding the need to process otoliths, and may be useful where the gre atest precision is not necessary. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.