Age and growth of tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) from Western Australia

Emmons, Sophia M., D'Alberto, Brooke M., Smart, Jonathan J., and Simpfendorfer, Colin A. (2021) Age and growth of tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) from Western Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research, 72 (7). pp. 950-963.

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Abstract

The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is believed to be a fast-growing shark that has shown regional variation in growth. Vertebrae samples were taken from 124 tiger sharks (60 females, 38 males, 26 of unknown sex) caught in Western Australia (WA) from 1994 to 1998. Samples were aged using standard vertebral ageing techniques, and the data were used to create length-at-age curves. Dahl-Lee back-calculation was used because of the low number of small juveniles (<140-cm fork length, FL) captured. Males (n = 38) were found to have an age range of 3-21 years and a length range of 145-306 cm FL; females (n = 60) had an age range of 2-31 years and a length range of 118-361 cm FL. A Bayesian multi-model approach to growth-curve fitting was used, and the von Bertalanffy model provided the best fit to back-calculated data on the basis of deviance information criterion (DIC). Parameter estimates for the combined-sex back-calculated data were as follows: Asymptotic length (L∞) = 372 cm FL; growth-completion coefficient (k) = 0.067 year-1; and length-at-birth (L0) = 65.8 cm FL. Growth of WA tiger sharks was slower than that of tiger sharks from most other regions, but similar to that observed on the eastern coast of Australia.

Item ID: 66976
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1448-6059
Keywords: Bayesian modeling, Shark Bay, vertebral analysis, Western Australia
Date Deposited: 23 Jun 2021 09:02
FoR Codes: 31 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 3103 Ecology > 310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) @ 30%
30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3005 Fisheries sciences > 300502 Aquaculture and fisheries stock assessment @ 70%
SEO Codes: 10 ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRIMARY PRODUCTS > 1003 Fisheries - wild caught > 100305 Wild caught fin fish (excl. tuna) @ 50%
18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT > 1805 Marine systems and management > 180502 Assessment and management of pelagic marine ecosystems @ 50%
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