Age and growth of the round stingray Urotrygon rogersi, a particularly fast-growing and short-lived elasmobranch.

ABSTRACT: We examined the age and growth of Urotrygon rogersi on the Colombian coast of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean by directly estimating age using vertebral centra. We verified annual deposition of growth increments with marginal increment analysis. Eight growth curves were fitted to four data sets defined on the basis of the reproductive cycle (unadjusted or adjusted for age at first band) and size variables (disc width or total length). Model performance was evaluated using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC), AIC weights and multi-model inference criteria. A two-phase growth function with adjusted age provided the best description of growth for females (based on five parameters, DW∞  =  20.1 cm, k  =  0.22 yr⁻¹) and males (based on four and five parameters, DW(∞)  =  15.5 cm, k  =  0.65

SUBMITTER: Mejia-Falla PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4002482 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature