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Periodic increments in the jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) beak: a potential tool for determining age and investigating regional difference in growth rates

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Abstract

Age determination of the jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) has been successfully carried out over its geographic range based on the use of the rings present in the statoliths. In this study, we propose an additional method to identify ages of D. gigas off the Ecuadorian and Chilean Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) waters by using upper beak rostrum sagittal section (RSS) analysis. Our results show periodic growth increments and occasional checks located in the RSS surface. Growth increments meet at the internal rostral axis in the shape of chevron, and the marks in the hood are more discernable and clearer than in the crest. As has been suggested for octopi, checks are thought to represent temperature oscillation and reproductive events. Growth increments are laid down in the RSS daily, and numbers were similar to the numbers of increments used to determine age in statoliths. There was a significant regional difference in age but not in increment width when mantle length effects were considered, where squid off the warm Ecuadorian EEZ waters had a shorter lifespan and higher somatic growth in mantle length than those in the temperate Chilean EEZ waters.

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Acknowledgments

We thanks Dr. Pauline Hilary Lovell for the English improvement. This work was funded by National Nature Science Foundation of China (NSFC41306127 and NSFC41276156). Programs Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (No. 20133104120001) and Shanghai Universities First-class Disciplines Project (Fisheries A). Y. Chen’s involvement was supported by Shanghai 1000 Talent Plan Program and SHOU International Center for Marine Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, 999 Hucheng Ring Road, Lingang New City, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Bi Lin Liu, Xin Jun Chen, Guan Yu Hu, Wei Yu, Jin Tao Wang & Jing Yuan Lin

  2. School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469, USA

    Bi Lin Liu & Yong Chen

  3. The Key Laboratory of Sustainable Exploitation of Oceanic Fisheries Resources, Ministry of Education, 999 Hucheng Ring Road, Lingang New City, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Bi Lin Liu & Xin Jun Chen

  4. Collaborative Innovation Center for Distant-water Fisheries, 999 Hucheng Ring Road, Lingang New City, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Bi Lin Liu, Xin Jun Chen & Yong Chen

  5. National Engineering Research Center for Oceanic Fisheries, 999 Hucheng Ring Road, Lingang New City, Shanghai, 201306, China

    Bi Lin Liu & Xin Jun Chen

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  1. Bi Lin Liu
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  2. Xin Jun Chen
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Correspondence to Xin Jun Chen.

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Liu, B.L., Chen, X.J., Chen, Y. et al. Periodic increments in the jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) beak: a potential tool for determining age and investigating regional difference in growth rates. Hydrobiologia 790, 83–92 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-3020-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-3020-3

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