Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Growth of demersal fish species of the Mexican Pacific Ocean

  • Published:
Marine Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The growth of 24 species of demersal fish caught off the Sinaloa-Nayarit coast and in the Gulf of Tehuantepec (Mexican Pacific Ocean) was determined by means of length-frequency analysis. Fishes constitute an important bycatch of the penaeid shrimp fishery, and 235 species were identified in catches made on research cruises in both areas in 1989 to 1992. Growth rates (cm yr-1) ranged from 0.13 cm for lutjanids and serranids to 0.95 cm for the carangid Selene peruviana; the other species displayed growth rates within this range. Growth varied seasonally, with minimum growth in spring, and is probably related to seasonal changes in the waters of the area. By means of length-frequency analysis, we determined von Bertalanffy growth parameters for the primary species of this multispecies fishery. Such data is fundamental for the future commercial exploitation of these fishes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acal DE, Arias A (1990) Evaluación de los recursos demerso-pelágicos vulnerables a redes de arrastre de fondo en el sur del Pacífico de México. Ciencs mar 16(3):93–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Arvizu-Martínez J (1987) Fisheries activities in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Rep Calif coop ocean Fish Invest (CalCOFI) 28:32–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakun A, Beyer J, Pauly D, Pope JG, Sharp J D (1982) Ocean science in relation to living resources. Can J Fish aquat Sciences 39:1050–1070

    Google Scholar 

  • Beverton RJH, Holt RJ (1957) On the dynamics of exploited fish populations. Fishery Invest, Lond (Ser 2) 19:1–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Bianchi G (1991) Demersal assemblages of the continental shelf and slope edge between the Gulf of Tehuantepec (Mexico) and the Gulf of Papagayo (Costa Rica). Mar Ecol Progr Ser 73:121–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackburn M (1962) An oceanographic study of the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Spec scient Rep US Fish Wildl Serv (Fisheries) 404:1–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackburn M (1966) Biological oceanography of the Eastern tropical Pacific: summary of existing information. Spec scient Rep US Fish Wildl Serv (Fisheries) 540:1–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Brey T, Pauly D (1986) Electronic length frequency analysis. A revised and extended user's guide to ELEFAN 0, 1 and 2. Ber Inst MeeresKde Kiel 149:1–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Castro-Aguirre JL, Arvizu-Martinez J, Paez-Barrera J (1970) Contribución al conocimiento de los peces del Golfo de California. Revta Soc mex Hist nat 31:107–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Chávez H, Ramos-Padilla R (1974) Informe de las actividades de pesca exploratoria efectuadas con el barco “Louis Caubrière” en aguas nacionales del Pacífico durante 1968–1969. Instituto Nacional Pesca, Serie infmv Inst nac Pesca, México 122:1–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Elorduy JF (1993) Edad y crecimiento, reproducción y habitos alimenticios de dos especies simpatricas del genero Caulolatilus Gill 1863, de la Bahia de la Paz y áreas adyacentes. Ph.D. manuscript. Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Bilbao, Spain (Mimeo)

  • Fiedler PC (1992) Seasonal climatologies and variability of eastern tropical Pacific surface waters. NOAA natn mar Fish Serv tech Rep US Dep Commerce 109:1–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Gayanilo FG, Soriano M, Pauly D (1988) A draft guide to the complete ELEFAN. SOFTWARE Ser. 2. Center for Living Aquatic Resources, Manila

    Google Scholar 

  • Hasselblad V (1966) Estimation of parameters for a mixture of normal distributions. Technometrics 8:431–444

    Google Scholar 

  • Heiden van der AM (1985) Taxonomía, biología y evaluación de la ictiofauna demersal del Golfo de California. In: Yañez-Arencibia A (ed) Recursos pesqueros potenciales de México: la pesca acompañante del camarón. Programa Universitario de Alimentos, Instituto Ciencias Mar Limnología, Instituto Nacional Pesca, Universidad Nacional Autónoma México, México DF, pp 149–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Heiden van der AM, Findley LT (1988) Lista de los peces marinos del sur de Sinaloa, México. An Inst Ciencs Mar Limnol, Univ nac autón México 15:209–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Heiden van der AM, Findley LT, Rodriguez-Cajiga S, Hendrickx ME (1982) Inventario de los peces marinos y de lagunas costeras del sur de Sinaloa, México. In: Heiden van der AM, Hendrickx ME (eds) Inventario de la fauna marina y costera del sur de Sinaloa, México. Instituto Ciencias Mar Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autonóma México, Mazatlan, México, pp 76–96 (Mimeo)

    Google Scholar 

  • Longhurst AR, Pauly D (1987) Ecology of tropical oceans. Academic Press Inc, London

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald PDM, Pitcher TJ (1979) Age-groups from size-frequency data: a versatile and efficient method of analyzing distribution mixtures. J Fish Res Bd Can 36:987–1001

    Google Scholar 

  • Manooch, III, C. S. (1987) Age and growth of snappers and groupers. In: Polovina JJ, Ralston S (eds) Tropical snappers and groupers. Biology and fisheries management. Westwiew Press, Boulder, Colorado, pp 329–374

    Google Scholar 

  • Mathews CP, Granados JL, Arvizu J (1974) Results of the exploratory cruises of the “Alejandro de Humboldt” in the Gulf of California. Rep Calif coop ocean Fish Invest (CalCOFI) 17:101–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohr E (1921) Alterbestimmung bei tropischen Fischen. Zool Anz 53:87–95

    Google Scholar 

  • Morales-Nin B (1989) Growth determination of tropical marine fishes by means of otolith interpretation and length frequency analysis. Aquat living Resour (Nantes) 2:241–253

    Google Scholar 

  • Morales-Nin B (1992) Determinación del crecimiento de los osteíctios tropicales por medio del análisis de frecuencia de tallas y de la microestructura de los otolitos. FAO Fish tech Pap 322:1–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Morales-Nin B (1993) First biological data on Synodus evermanni Jordan and Bollman, 1890 (Pisces: Synodontidae) from the central Mexican Pacific. Scientia mar 57:95–99

    Google Scholar 

  • Munro JL, Pauly D (1983) A simple method for comparing the growth of fishes and invertebrates. Fishbyte 1:5–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Pauly D (1979) Gill size and temperature as governing factors in fish growth: a generalization of von Bertalanffy's growth formula. Ber Inst MeeresKde Kiel 63:1–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Pauly D (1984) Fish population dynamics in tropical waters, a manual for use with programmable calculators. Stud Rev int Cent living aquat Resour Mgmt, Manila 8:1–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Pauly D, David N (1981) ELEFAN I, a BASIC program for the objective extraction of growth parameters from length-frequency data. Meeresforsch Rep mar Res 28:205–211 (Ber dt wiss Kommn Meeresforsch)

    Google Scholar 

  • Petersen CG (1891) Eine Methode zur Bestimmung des Alters and Wuchses der Fische. Mitt dt Seefisch Ver 11:226–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Plascencia-González HG (1993) Contribución al conocimiento de las comunidades de peces asociados a los fondos blandos de la plataforma continental del sur de Sinaloa, México (Proyecto SIPCO). Tesis Master en Ciencias. Facultad Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF

  • Poinsard F, Troadec JP (1966) Determination de l'age par la lecture des otolithes chez deux espèces de sciaenidés Ouest-Africains (Pseudotolithus senegalensis C.V. et Pseudotolithus typus). J Cons perm int Explor Mer 30:291–307

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnute J, Fournier D (1980) A new approach to length frequency analysis: growth structure. Can J Fish aquat Sciences 37:1337–1351

    Google Scholar 

  • Stromme T, Saetersdal G (1988) Surveys of the fish resources on the Pacific shelf from Colombia to Southern Mexico, 1987. Reports on surveys with R/V “Dr. F. Nansen”. Vols. 1 and 2. Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomson DA, Findley LT, Kerstitch AN (1987) Reef fishes of the Sea of Cortez. 2nd edn. University of Arizona Press, Arizona

    Google Scholar 

  • Walker B (1960) Distribution and affinities of the marine fish fauna of the Gulf of California. Syst Zoöl 9:123–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Wetherall JA, Polovina JJ, Ralston S (1987) Estimating growth and mortality in steady-state fish stocks from length-based frequency data. Proc 13th int Center living aquat Resour Mgmt (ICLARM) Conf 13:53–74 [Pauly D, Morgan GR (eds) International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management, Manila, Philippines]

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyrtki K (1966) Oceanography of the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Oceanogr mar Biol A Rev 4:33–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyrtki K (1967) Circulation and water masses in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean. Int J Oceanol Limnol 1:117–147

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIC-Institut d'Estudis Avançats de les Illes Balears, Crta. Valldemossa Km 7.5, E-07071, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    B. Morales-Nin

Authors
  1. B. Morales-Nin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Communicated by J. M. Pérès, marseille

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Morales-Nin, B. Growth of demersal fish species of the Mexican Pacific Ocean. Marine Biology 121, 211–217 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346728

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00346728

Keywords

Search

Navigation