Bathymetric and geographical trends in growth of golden redfish (Sebastes norvegicus)
Llopis Monferrer, N.; Planque, B.
Show abstract
Golden redfish (Sebastes norvegicus) are a long-living (>50 years), late maturing (>10 years) species of commercial interest, distributed along the coast, shelves and continental slope of Norway, down to approximately 400 m depth in the water column. In recent years, analyses of size-at-age data have revealed variable growth trajectories for this species. Whilst some individuals appear to grow slowly after sexual maturity (37cm at ~ 15 years), others continue to grow throughout their lifetime up to 100 cm or more. To investigate how depth and latitude affect golden redfish growth patterns, we developed non-linear mixed effects statistical models. Alongside this, small scale experiments were also conducted to assess the quality of age-determination. The results showed that individuals found in deeper, northern waters present a higher growth potential, even when uncertainty in age determination and species identification were considered. The proximal causes for variations in the growth potential of S. norvegicus are still unresolved and the existence of a possible cryptic species remains a fundamental issue that will need to be addressed, in order to understand the causes behind observed growth variations.
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