PREDICTING GREY TRIGGERFISH BODY-SIZE FROM BONES

The present study presents a method for predicting triggerfish body si ze (standard length and body mass) from bones recovered from archaeolo gical sites. Regression equations were calculated from 42 fresh trigge rfish. The following seven measurements were used as best predictors f or body size based on the regression coefficients, reliability of the measurements and survivorship of the bones in archaeological material: width of ethmoid, width of vomer, width of first dorsal spine, width of dorsal postcleithrum, width of atlas, width of sixth vertebra, and greatest height of basal pterygiophore. These equations enabled us to assess the contribution of fish to the economy and aided us in identif ying various fishing methods. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.