DAILY AGE AND GROWTH OF LARVAL AND EARLY JUVENILE SPANISH MACKEREL, SCOMBEROMORUS-MACULATUS FROM THE SOUTH-ATLANTIC BIGHT

Age and growth of larval and juvenile Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus maculatus, were determined by examining increments of daily growth on the otoliths (lapilli) of specimens collected along the southeastern A tlantic coast, 1983-89. Marginal increment analysis was performed on 1 52 fish (7.4-97.0 mm SL) to validate the deposition of daily rings. A mean standardized marginal increment (SMI) was calculated by comparing the width of the marginal increment to the adjacent increment on the lapilli of fish captured over a diel cycle. The distribution of mean S MI was unimodal. A nonlinear equation was used to model growth (ln SL = 6.2 - 55.1/Age). Based on this growth equation, predicted absolute g rowth rates for the first 23 days of life were approximately 1.9 mm/da y, followed by a surge of rapid growth approaching 5.0 mm/day over the next 17 days. Absolute growth rates subsequent to 40 days of age were 2.1 mm/day.